Story of Gine: What if Gine was sent to Raditz?
by presidentuziel
Summary: Gine, mother of Raditz and Goku, is forced back into battle when she arrived with Vegeta's party after the destruction of their homeworld. Forced to prove herself as more than a cook, Gine will do anything to protect her people, and especially her family against the universe's greatest threats.
1. Cook to the Prince

"Where's Raditz?"

"Offworld. He's in the military now, teamed up with Prince Vegeta on some planet. I seriously doubt they'll make it back for this."

"Wow Prince Vegeta, huh? I wouldn't want to be stuck on a ship with that one."

_Stuck on a ship with Vegeta._

Gine clenched her teeth, gripping her glove as tight as she could; it was the only thing she had with her in the pod she could hold. Why couldn't she have gone with Kakarot? Why couldn't so go to Urth with him?

She had watched the destruction of Planet Vegeta from the pod. She had watched as her boy, her secondborn, the little child of a power level of just five, fly off in the opposite direction. Kakarot would be on his own, with nobody to remind him of his family, nobody to anchor him to his people, with no knowledge of his legacy as a Saiyan...Would he be strong enough to survive on his own?

_He has to be. He has to be smart, strong, and clever. Like his father,_ Gine told herself. A lump formed in her throat at the thought of Bardock, who had sent Kakarot off to Urth without her. Who had run off to fight Frieza on his own. Was he strong? He was a low-class warrior, respected by none. Was he smart? He had run of and gotten himself killed; he'd done nothing to save their people.

What did that leave her as? A washout warrior, good for nothing more than cooking, cleaning, and chasing after children. She was pathetic, and her only hope was that Prince Vegeta would be hungrier than he was arrogant. Given what she had heard, however, an appetite greater than the Prince's pride would be truly insatiable.

And what about Raditz? What would the Prince, or his brutish bodyguard, Nappa, say about his mother coming to them? They would see him as even weaker, when Raditz already struggles to garner true strength like a real warrior. Raditz's mother, come to protect him from across the galaxy.

The Frieza Force itself, as well, would want to know why Gine had left Vegeta just before it was destroyed. Would they assassinate her? She knew that Frieza had destroyed the planet, not a meteor like the intelligence feed was stating. They'd surely come for her, one way or another. Even if Vegeta chose to protect her, he couldn't be there all the time.

There was a sick twisting feeling in her stomach, and she ripped the glove in two.

She would have to stand on her own.

She would have to be a fighter again.

And Raditz could not afford to be weak.

Gine curled up, took a breath, and began to think about her time as a warrior. Her sparring. The things Bardock tried to drill into her. What was it that he had said? What were those lessons? She would have to learn them all over again…

She hated Bardock for sending her away from Kakarot, and her heart ached as she thought of him, wishing nothing more than to be cradled in his arms, one last time...Should she have stayed?

The sound of Kakarot's cries rang in her ears. No. She would be strong. Kakarot needed her. Raditz needed her. Hell, even Vegeta needed her.

She would _not_ be weak. She would _not_ be a liability.

And she _will_ have her revenge on Frieza.

Her pod touched down at the landing zone, and hissed open; she stepped outside, still groggy from the hibernation. Immediately, Gine let out a stretch and yawn, and looked about; the vegetation was a blue-green, with the trees having short, stubby branches. Gine yawned a second time as she looked about the camp; there were a handful of other Saiyans gawking at her with their mouths open.

"Uh...Hello...Um…" Gine's bravado from the beginning of her trip slipped away as she raced to think of what to say, "I'm, uh...Here to be Prince Vegeta's cook!"

"Y-You're a Saiyan!" one of them stammered.

Gine put her fists on her hips and scowled, "No, I'm from Yardrat. Of course I'm a Saiyan. Where is the Prince and the General?"

"Wh-what happened, how are you here?" the Saiyan demanded, taking a step toward her, and she hopped off the door of her pod. A lie formed in Gine's mind, one that might help her, and her son, keep their heads.

"I took my pod, obviously. General Cubeb decided I'd be a nice gift for the Prince, since it was on the way for us on the way back to Planet Vegeta. He thought the Prince would appreciate someone who can cook anything!" Gine held up her bicep, flexing it and smiling at the Saiyan, "Besides, I wanted to see my son before we went back, surprise his father with a little reunion."

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Gine cocked her head to the side and giving him a confused look.

"Planet Vegeta was struck by a meteor! Everyone on the planet was killed, even the King and General Cubeb! The Saiyans...They're all gone!" the warrior told her.

It wasn't hard for Gine to feign shock as she held her ungloved hand to her mouth; it was still too much for her to really accept, "But...My husband, we were...My son...My other son was on Vegeta! There HAS to be survivors, someone who got away!"

"We've been trying to get ahold of someone, but…" the Saiyan shook his head, "As far as we can tell, we're all that's left…"

Gine slumped down to the ground. Bardock's last words to her rang in her ears.

"_Never forget me, Gine."_

"Bastard…" she mumbled.

"Who is this?" a child called out.

"MOTHER!" Raditz shrieked, flying straight over to her. She caught her oldest son in her arms, and she squeezed him tight, the familiar smell of his long hair reminding her not all was lost.

"Oh, Raditz, you're okay!" she sobbed, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Ugh," Prince Vegeta coughed, "Who is this, Raditz?"

Raditz let Gine go, and turned to his companion, "This is my mother, Gine. Mother, what are you doing here? I thought you were on Vegeta?"

"No, I took a last minute job with General Cubeb, and he sent me here to be the Prince's cook while he's on assignment, before headed back...Back to…" Gine clenched her fist, swallowed the feeling in her throat, and kept a gaze, "Back to Planet Vegeta. But they just told me what happened. I had no idea, Raditz...Your brother, and your father…"

"Mother, it's all right. Father sent me a message, Kakarot was chosen for a mission, just before everything happened! He was sent to some place, some backwater world, what was it, um..E-arth?" Raditz said.

"A cook, eh?" Vegeta said

Gine stood, and bowed to the Prince, "Yes, my Prince. General Cubeb sent me as a sort of gift to you. I'm to prepare all your meals, to the greatest extent of my abilities, as long as you wish for me to serve. I also have served as a warrior in the Army. Given the circumstances, I'm more than happy to offer my loyalty, and that of my son, Raditz, to your service, for the glory and pride of the Saiyan Race."

"Hmph. Well, get to cooking, woman, I'm hungry," Vegeta said, waving his hand.

"Of course, Prince Vegeta, I will begin at once. You! Where's the food?" Gine pointed to one of the Saiyan warriors.

"Hey, you can't order me around!"

"I can and will if you want to eat! Now where's the food?"

"Oh, you-"

"Answer the woman!" Prince Vegeta ordered, and the warrior let out a yelp.

"Um, it's over here!" he ran over to the pile of fruit and alien bodies that had been accumulated. Just a pile of corpses and some fruit dumped on the ground, for shame. The aliens surely had kitchens they could have used some of their materials. It would be a chore to rig something up.

"Wow, this is gonna be great! Vegeta, you won't regret taking on my mom, she's the best cook on the-Erm...Was the best cook among all the Saiyans. Is? This is gonna be weird," Raditz insisted to the Prince.

"She'd better. I'm hungry," Vegeta huffed, and he went to brood over on a stump.

"Raditz, come here," Gine called over, and he floated over. At first he was grinning at the sight of her, but when he saw her expression, it quickly faded.

"Hey, Mom, it's going to be okay. We're together now, we'll-"

"We won't have time for that, Raditz. We're going to have to be strong. Strong together," she muttered to him, "Vegeta's not going to tolerate any weakness."

"M-mom? What-"

"We're going to finish this mission, and then we're going to train. You, me, Nappa, Vegeta, and these other Saiyans. We're all we have left. We _have_ to stick together, do you understand me, Raditz?"

"Yeah, of course, but I thought-"

"Don't let anything on. I'm just your cook mother, as far as anyone else is concerned. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good. Now get a fire started, with a spit, and carve me some bowls, I have to marinate this meat and get the Prince something to eat as soon as I can."

"You got it!" he darted off to get some wood. Gine allowed herself to smile; Raditz loved helping her cook, and helping Bardock with his technical experiments. The boy was a born technician and a talented cook in his own right, but Saiyans don't put any value on anything other than fighting. And Raditz hated to lose, or be seen as lesser, so he didn't let on that he actually loved this sort of thing. Raditz was so excited to help, though, so excited to see her, that he'd forgotten to act disdainfully at the idea of helping her.

After about twenty minutes of cooking, the Prince called out, "What's taking so long, cook? I thought you were the best! Why shouldn't I just eat my fill now with what's in the food pile? Well? I'm hungry!"

"Of course, my prince, just a moment longer," Gine studied the alien stomach she'd been cooking, held up above the fire and lightly cooked. A metal funnel made from the alien warriors' weapons caught the juice and grease dripping off the stomach, which she took out of the fire, along with the stomach, and drizzled the grease back into the stomach, which was filled with fruits, nuts, and plants that had been taken from the aliens or gathered by the Saiyans.

"I have an appetizer for you, my Prince. Something to hold you over until the full roast is done," she presented it to him, "It's a stuffed stomach, lightly roasted, with fruits and vegetables. Highly nutritious and delicious, fit for a warrior and Prince like yourself."

Vegeta snatched the stomach from her hands, and held it up to eat it.

"Ah-ah, my Prince; you'll want to eat it one bite at a time. It's richer than it looks, and you'll want to savor it," she insisted.

Vegeta scowled at her, and instead of eating the whole thing all at once, followed her advice, and ate it from the top down. After the first bite he paused, looked her up and down, and chewed slowly. Gine grinned at him.

"How is it, my Prince?"

"This will do. Go back to cooking, I'm still going to be hungry."

"Of course, my Prince."

Gine returned to the cooking pits; the smell of food had incentivized the rest of the Saiyans to pitch in at least a little bit of help, and now she and Raditz were able to cook several of the aliens all at once. All the Saiyans were watching and smelling in awe as the mother and son went about preparing their feast.

"If we had time I'd have brewed some wine, but juice will have to do," Gine said, taking some of the alien peaches that she was using as the flavor for basically everything she had, "Find a water container, and mix water and the juice. Three parts juice, one part water, don't be afraid of pulp, okay?"

"Got it!"

Within the next hour, Gine presented Prince Vegeta and General Nappa with another round of stuffed stomachs, and the other Saiyans got flavored and cubed meat, while she prepped some impromptu grounded meat, with some eggs, and made a sort of pork-and-egg dinner, spiced with some local mushroom, followed by the full roast, which had a peach sauce cooked into it. It wasn't Gine's best work, but she was proud of it given what she had to work with, and there would be plenty more for the days to come with what she'd cooked.

She and the Saiyans feasted that night. For the first time since they'd heard the news of their people's doom, they felt normal, even a little bit happy, even if it was just from a bit of food. Gine ate as she watched and listened to the Saiyan warrior exchange stories of their victories. A part of her realized that she'd missed this.

"Hey, Gine, was it?"

"Huh?" she looked over, and then up, at the massive General Nappa, "Yes, that's my name. What can I do for you, General?"

"You already have. Thank you for this. We all needed this after what happened."

She smiled, "Just doing my job, General. The last thing these Saiyans, or the Prince, needs is an empty stomach."

"Of course. Feels good to have something real to eat."

"General?"

"Hmm?"

"Could I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Train me and Raditz. He needs...A drive, and we need him to be strong. I need to be strong. More than just a cook. We can't afford to be weak. Not anymore."

General Nappa held up the leg of the alien warrior he was eating, "Keep cooking like this, and you've got a deal."

"Deal."


	2. Just One Punch

Gine held the cold pack against Raditz's face as he stared down the grinning Nappa. The boy was barely able to stand, and he had a rasp that Gine wasn't particularly happy to hear, but it was most of her strength to prevent Raditz from flying away.

"He's...So strong.." Raditz wheezed.

"So will you," she insisted, lifting the cold pack, and poking the injury. He winced; his eye wasn't going to open until the swelling went down all the way, "You need to keep at it."

"I can't beat him, mother…"

"You're not supposed to," she told him, applying a bit of glue to an open wound on his cheek, "You're supposed to attack him, and pay attention. Figure out _why_ he's beating you, and learn from it. Or, just take the boost, and try again, until you don't need me to stitch you up anymore."

"What? That's-that's madness!" he insisted, "There's no way I can beat him! I don't want to get the crap beaten out of me every time I need to train!"

Gine pressed her finger against the swelled eye, causing him to gasp and flinch away from the pain, but she held him down, "You will attack him, Raditz, because you need to get stronger. Take the pain. Fight through it. We'll find a way for it to click, we'll make a warrior out of you. But until then, you keep attacking him. You keep trying."

"But-"

"No excuses, Raditz. He won't accept any, neither will Vegeta, and certainly not Lord Frieza. So I can't accept it from you, either," Gine told him. She held up his chin, "Tell you what, Raditz. You land a punch on General Nappa, no matter how much he beats you, just one punch, and I'll cook you a liver sausage. Nothing for anyone else, not even the Prince. All for you, okay? Land a punch for me."

Raditz's eye lit up at the mention of his favorite treat, and he nodded, "I'll get him!"

"Do it, Raditz!" Gine cheered as he flew off his stool, straight at Nappa. Gine held back the cringe as Nappa began to beat on the poor boy; Raditz was too slow, too unfocused, and just couldn't understand how to coordinate his body. He had powerful Ki blasts, but Raditz was so afraid of failure. Getting a daily beating for almost two years probably didn't reassure him.

Gine stepped into the next training room, where her own failure awaited her: A Saibaman, grown just for her to fight. The other Saiyans were sparring in the same room, and Gine braced herself for the insults as she approached the creature.

"Ready to get tossed by the salad again, Gine?"

"Remember, you gotta kill it, not prune it! It's a Saibman, not a flower!"

Gine charged at it. The creature had so little sense of self-preservation that it just attacked, taking her blows and smacking her with its blunt claws.

"Remember, you're supposed to punch it, not massage it!"

She hated this.

"Don't want it to _photosynthesize_ at you!"

Fighting made no sense to her.

"Watch out for its roots, they might grow a bit!"

They were parasites, taking from others.

"I think I see an ant munching on it! Watch out, it might kill the Saibaman first!"

Why was she fighting again? Why was she letting Raditz get tortured?

Gine landed a punch, blasting through the Saibaman's head, leaving a green goo on her fist. The creature twitched, grasping for the brain that was no longer there, and fell to the ground. Raditz's screams of pain and surprise as Nappa beat him around rang in her ears.

"Woah, she actually did it!"

"Pfft. Finally."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Gine roared, and she flew straight at the wall dividing the sparring rooms.

"What the-" Nappa managed to stammer just before Gine's fist collided with his jaw.

"I'm not going to let you torture my son any longer! He's not learning a damn thing, he's just getting more bruises! I told you I wanted you to teach him how to fight, not just beat the tar out of him!" Gine growled as she threw a flurry of punches on him, "I need my son to be a warrior, not a punching bag, you half-minded brute!"

Nappa was caught off-guard at first by the sudden attack, but quickly turned into a defensive posture, and began taking her strikes on his arms, before rearing his head back and smashing his head against hers, sending her across the room.

"HEY! DON'T HURT MY MOTHER!" Raditz screamed, and he bolted off the ground, fist-first, but Nappa caught the attack, and slammed him against the wall.

Gine charged straight at Nappa, firing a Ki blast, which Nappa blocked easily, but took a blow to the stomach.

"You want to see what a warrior looks like?" Nappa took in a sharp breath, and landed a bunch against her side, sending her into the wall, too, "I'll show you what a Saiyan warrior really looks like. Raditz fired a series of Ki blasts, but Nappa just ignored them entirely; the boy was already exhausted and beaten. Gine began to kick at Nappa, but he simply ducked out of range of each blow, keeping his eyes on Gine.

"Your son's pathetic. You're pathetic. I can make him stronger, but he'll never be a real warrior. Neither of you have the will, the strength, or the pride to fight like a real Saiyan. We'll get some use out of the two of you, but-"

Gine lined up her hands together, and struck Nappa in the chest with her own Ki blast; this one actually sent him back a step, and she followed up with a gut punch. The first punch hit, but he caught her wrist on the second attempt.

"All right, that was a good hit," Nappa admitted, and punched Gine in the head, knocking her out. Raditz flew at Nappa's head, but the bigger Saiyan ducked underneath, and jumped up, striking Raditz in the chest and implanting him in the ceiling.

Nappa looked down at the unconscious Gine, up at the groaning Raditz, and over at the hole she had put through the wall.

"Looks like you've got a fighting spirit after all," Nappa chuckled, peeling Raditz out of the ceiling and letting him fall to the ground. The boy would get a decent boost from this, and Gine had just discovered she actually had power.

Maybe she was right, though. If Raditz had the kind of power Gine was just able to bring, maybe it was just a matter of time until he tapped into it. The boy would need more than just the standard beat-until-tough.

Nappa touched his chest, where Gine had blasted and punched him, only to realize there was a hole in his armor; she'd blown straight through it, and his chest was starting to redden; he was going to bruise there. A grin stretched across his face. Yeah. These two were holding out on him. He was going to have to give them the real stuff.

"General Nappa, are you-"

"Who said you could stop sparring?" Nappa asked the Saiyan, and the Saiyan let out a yelp, and went back to his routine with his partner. A Frieza Force technician entered, and gawked at the damage.

"N-Nappa, what-What happened? The training room, it's...Destroyed!"

"Just got a little rough is all," Nappa waved them away, "Don't worry about it."

Nappa ignored the technician, who went about inspecting the damage. Nappa shook Gine, until she stirred and opened her eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"You've got a hell of a temper," Nappa chuckled, "I'm going to have to watch out for it in the future."

"Did-did we win?" Raditz asked. The technician was groaning at the hole in the wall.

"Nope," Nappa said, "Good try, though. I'm hungry, though, and you _know_ that the Prince will be. So get up. You need to get cooking."

"Ugh…" Gine pushed herself off the ground, "Yes, General…"

The technician gestured to the Saibaman, "Oh no, it's everywhere!"

"And tomorrow? We train again. Real training. Both of you," Nappa said, "You'll do more than punch through a Saibaman's head when I'm done. Mark my words."

"Wait-how did you put a hole _in the ceiling? _What kind of training IS this?" the technician demanded.

"Good training. Now shut up and get fixing. We're doing this again tomorrow," Nappa instructed them. Gine rediscovered her balance, and started to limp out of the room.

"And Gine?" Nappa called out.

"Hyngh?"

"I'm going to expect even more. Every day."

"Yeah, all right…" she dragged herself out of the training room, with Raditz at her heel. The technician looked at the Raditz-shaped dent in the wall, and did a double-take at Raditz.

"Wait, isn't he a child?"

Nappa ignored him, stepping through the wall to observe the drills being done by the other Saiyan warriors.

"Weakling," Vegeta hissed.

"Please! Vegeta, help!" the Saiyan gasped, but the Prince rolled his eyes as the other members of the Frieza Force continued to kick the poor warrior on the ground. The man coughed blood as the soldiers hit him in the stomach.

"Are we seriously going to let this happen, Prince Vegeta? Just let them kill him like that?" Nappa asked.

"If he can't finish a fight, he shouldn't start it. Besides, he deserves it for being so pathetic. If he's so weak he can't take on these losers, he's no Saiyan worth having," Vegeta said, turning away. Nappa and the other three Saiyans watched. Gine clenched her fists, while Raditz watched Vegeta start to walk out of the cantine.

"We're getting involved," Gine told Raditz, stepping forward.

"But Prince Vegeta said-"

"We're all that we have left," Gine reminded him, "And _we're_ not Prince Vegeta. Are you in, or do I have to remind you what a Saiyan really looks like?"

Raditz looked back at Vegeta, and then to his mother, and nodded. Gine approached the thugs with Raditz at her side.

"Enough!" Gine shouted, stepping towards the thugs; the beating continued. Gine raised her hand, and fired a blast at one of their heads, "_I said enough!_"

The thugs turned to her, and their victim took the moment to cringe at the pain.

"You want what he's having, lady? Because you're fixing to get some for that."

"That man is a Saiyan warrior. A veteran of more campaigns than you'll ever see. You're cowards to gang up on him and you're going to pay for that. But I'll let you walk away bruise-free, right now," Gine warned, "But it's a one-time offer."

"Eat laser!" the soldier shouted, holding up a pistol, but Raditz was on him as Gine dodged the shot. She used the momentum to attack the man standing beside the shooter, while Raditz started to strike the shooter where he was unarmored.

Nappa crossed his arms and watched; they'd only been training under him, really training, mind, for about a month, and the mother and son duo were showing their stuff.

"I thought I said to leave the weakling to die?" Vegeta said, returning to Nappa's side once the fight started.

"Well, it might be beneath you, but not them," Nappa said, gesturing to them, "Besides, they need the practice."

"Hmph."

Raditz and Gine grabbed the heads of the last two goons, and smashed them together, knocking them out. Gine dusted her hands off, standing above the bodies. She looked around at the audience of the cantine.

"This man is a Saiyan. We are the greatest in the Galaxy, and to attack one of us, is an attack on our pride. If you think you're bad enough to take on all of us, go right ahead. But we won't suffer cowards that jump a fighter in a gang. You're supposed to be soldiers of the Frieza Force. Pathetic," Gine told the room, and she kicked the soldier that had shot at her, breaking his back with a sickening 'crack.'

Gine knelt down, and picked up the wounded Saiyan.

"I said to leave him," Vegeta said to Gine.

"My Prince, you gave no such order," Gine's tone changed to placate him, "You merely said that he deserved his fate."

"We have no room for weaklings."

Gine looked over to the pile of writhing Frieza Force soldiers, and then back to Vegeta, "Certainly no room for that bunch."

"You're starting to get cocky. Remember what you are, _cook._"

"Of course, my Prince. You won't be disappointed with tonight's meal, I promise."

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted as he turned and left. Nappa tapped his bicep.

"We can't afford to be making enemies of Frieza's soldiers," he told her.

"We can't afford to be losing more Saiyans, either," Gine gestured to the man she was carrying, "And I think the soldiers of the Frieza Force have made up their minds about us already. So given the choice, I think I'll stick with my own people, Nappa."

Nappa grinned, "Fine. But don't think this has done anything to show you've gotten strong. You're still beneath the Prince's notice, as far as he's concerned."

Gine looked Nappa up and down, and took a breath, "Thank you, General, for your training. Tomorrow, Raditz will finally land a punch on you. And I will give you a gift for helping us. After dinner, see me in my kitchen. In the meantime, I'm bringing Shive to the healing pod."

Nappa watched them go as Raditz kept to her heel; he glanced back at Nappa as they went through the door.

"Why did we save him?" Raditz asked, "He's weak."

"So are you. But you can't get better if you're dead, Raditz. We're all that's left. We have to survive. We have to stand together. Vegeta might go on about pride, and that Shive's failure is an insult to Saiyan pride, but the truth is, letting Shive die tells everyone that Saiyans won't lift a finger for each other. We can't _afford_ to let any of us fail, because letting an insult like killing a Saiyan stand _is_ the true insult to our pride. You, me, Nappa, Vegeta, even Shive. We _are_ our pride. _We_ are what we fight for. _They_ are why we get stronger."

"I thought you didn't like fighting?"

Gine was silent for a moment, "I didn't. Because we were selfish. I didn't like the way we fought, or the reason we fought, before we lost our people. I could afford to be a cook, because others were strong enough without me. But we can't do that anymore, Raditz. Even the least of us, losing one of us is a loss to everything we stand."

She looked down to Raditz, "Remember that. Even if Prince Vegeta doesn't. We're greater together. Don't be afraid to fight for your team. For your people. Even if you don't always like it, you fight for them."

He nodded, "Okay, mom. You really think I'll land that punch tomorrow?"

"You better, I already promised Nappa it would happen. If you don't, I'm giving _him_ your sausage."

"WHAT? No! It's mine!"

"Well then you'd better punch Nappa tomorrow."

Gine bit down on the bone, and spit out the end. With her hand, she crushed the other end, and began to suck, the marrow rolling out of the bone and into her mouth. She savored the taste for a moment, before letting it roll down her throat. She enjoyed little moments like this, eating her own food alone, getting the chance to enjoy it without worrying what others thought. Normally she ate with the others, but she didn't want to listen to Prince Vegeta grill her about saving Shive. She licked her fingers, letting the spice of the sauce build up in her mouth so she could delight in every flavor and burn alike.

Damn she was good.

Someone knocked on the kitchen door.

"Who is it?" she demanded. Nappa entered without answering, and she relaxed. She really didn't want to talk to any of the other Saiyans right now, not even Raditz, really.

"Well, according to Prince Vegeta, that was the worst meal he's ever had. He should know, he ate so much of it. Raditz sure enjoyed that sausage you gave him, though. You said you had something for me, Gine?"

"Oh, yes," she stood, and placed the stool upon she was sitting in the center of the room, "Sit."

"What is this?"

"Sit!" she pointed at the stool.

He sat, facing the opposite wall. Gine went over to her utensils, and considered which one would be best for what she had in mind.

"So what do you have for me that requires me to sit down? You could just give me the box right now or whatever."

Gine pulled her chosen knife out of its sheath, and grabbed a small cloth, "Oh, this is a favor, Nappa. One I've been meaning to give to you for a while."

"A favor? I'm a simple man, Gine, I don't need much."

"You've had this coming. Now, close your eyes, and keep _perfectly_ still."

Nappa straightened his back, closed his eyes, and held still. Gine held up the cloth, and dropped it straight on his head.

"Wh-that's warm!"

"_Hold still!"_ she hissed.

"Gine! What are you doing to me?!"

She rubbed the towelette on his head, smearing the substance that had been heating on it. Once she'd gotten it all over Nappa's head, she held up the knife, pressed it against his scalp...And _carefully_ drew it towards her, repeating the strokes, and trying to hold Nappa still when he shuddered as the knife was raked against his skin.

It was all over in a few minutes, goo and hair all over the floor. Gine took a fresh cloth, and wiped down operation location.

"There. All done."

"What _was_ that? What've you done to my precious hair?" Nappa demanded, and she handed him a mirror.

"I killed that awful shrub on your head that you called hair. I cringed every time I looked at it," Gine explained, "Now, you look like nothing will stand in your way. You look like a _badass._ A bald, beautiful badass."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

She patted him on the cheek just hard enough for it to sting, "Stay focused, Nappa. Doesn't that look better?"

Nappa looked over his face and head from every angle he could reach. She took the mirror from him, and showed him a few more.

"Yeah. You're right, I should have done this _years_ ago."

"There. I think I've earned your trust now, haven't I?" Gine threw the washing towelette on his face, "Best favor for you I could think of, as thanks for training us."

"Well we couldn't have you or Raditz dragging us down."

Gine opened the door for Nappa, "Well it's the least you could do for torturing that poor creature you let live on the top of your head. Now that I've killed it for you, we're even. Now, out, I've got to clean the kitchen."

Nappa smiled at her as he left; he jumped and his tail bushed when she slammed the door behind him.


	3. By the Moons of Sadala

"We've been here for a day and a half, and all you've done is _cook._"

"I _am_ your personal chef, Prince Vegeta," Gine pointed out, not even turning to look at him while she basted.

"You're a Saiyan Warrior, Gine. Here we are on a battlefield, surrounded by fights, and all you're doing is _cooking?_ What's _wrong_ with you? Where's your _pride?_" he demanded. Gine spun about, and shoved the spoon she was holding into his mouth; he let out a quiet yelp when she did so.

"At the tip of this spoon," Gine said, "Doing something I love, for the greatest warriors in the galaxy, including my son. If you are displeased with my service, Prince Vegeta, you need only say the word."

Vegeta took the spoon, scraping the sauce off it while he considered Gine. She'd served with him for ten years now, and he still didn't know what to think of her.

"The only time I've seen you fight in real battles is when one of the weaklings gets themselves into trouble, and they go crying to the woman. You're making them weak."

"Well they can't get stronger if they're dead," Gine pointed out, "Would you rather be surrounded by Saiyans or corpses?"

"Better the corpses of the weak than the whining of the pathetic," Vegeta said, "Your son went to go rescue those other fools who went to attack the Gellow High Command. I'd say they're being torn apart right now by the Gellow's defenses. We'll see which ones of them are stupid enough to get themselves killed, won't we?"

Gine stabbed the baster into the meat, and started to float.

"What about my dinner? I thought you were just my cook!"

"It'll keep until I get back!" she snarled at him, flying off to the nearest power levels.

"You-You're Saiyans! Why? Why come here? We're no threat to you!" the Gellow commander pleaded. Gine wanted to just let him go. This fight was pointless, just a bit of money from the Frieza Force for subjugating this place, and not even all that much. She didn't care about the money. She looked over her shoulder at the devastation they'd left behind. It had been exhilarating, sure. But the purpose to it all? The reason they were here? It was hollow.

Her eyes fell upon the Saiyans she had saved: Shive, Meys, Avacada, Celtus, and of course, her son Raditz. They were beaten, burned, and blasted, but they stood tall, together, before their now-defeated enemies. She turned back to the Gellow.

"And now you never will be," she told him flatly, "Now, I'm _really_ hungry, and if _I'm_ hungry, then _Prince Vegeta _is hungry. Which means I'm not in the mood to chat, and you don't have a lot of time before he gets angry, and trust me, you do _not_ want to deal with a hungry Vegeta. So why don't you declare your surrender to Lord Frieza, and our leader won't have to come over _in search of a meal_, got it?"

The commander nodded.

"Good. Glad we understand each other."

As they were flying back, Shive flew up to her.

"Thank you for the save, Gine-erm, again."

"You all almost died."

"Eh-yeah, so thank-"

"I cannot come to save all of you. I am _the cook_."

"We thought the Prince would cover our attack! He would take out the defenses while we rushed the soldiers! It was supposed to be a coordinated assault! Just like Nappa taught us! None of us are strong enough to take out those guns, we needed help!" Avacada insisted.

"I was going to, but I took a hit," Raditz pulled at the hole in his armor, "If you hadn't arrived, mother…"

"Prince Vegeta will not help you," Gine said, coming to a stop, "He cannot be relied upon. You need to stop thinking of him as your leader, because he expects you to do everything yourselves. He expects you to be powerful enough to blow those guns without his help, because if you need it, you're too weak for him to care."

"But-that's how it's _done!_ It's how we were _trained_, to work as a team!" Celtus said, "Taking out powerful targets like those gun emplacements is what High-Class Warriors are supposed to do! That's their tactical application, it's been that way since we conquered the Tuffles."

"I didn't say he was right, I said that's what he expects. These things come effortlessly to Vegeta, and he expects _everything_ to be like that. The rest of us? We've got to work for it, and he _will not have our backs,_ do you understand me? And _I_ cannot fight your battles for you when you get into trouble."

The Saiyans exchanged glances.

"If Nappa and Vegeta aren't going to do their jobs, what do we need them for? Us _low-class _warriors just took that fortress, and we were _led by a cook._ We don't _need_ them if they're going to refuse to play their part and get us all killed," Meys said, "I say we turn in this planet, collect the reward for ourselves, and start running our own missions. The Saiyan Squad! Let Vegeta and Nappa have fun on their own if they're going to leave us out to dry to do this ourselves!"

Gine glanced at Raditz, who was keeping his mouth firmly shut through all this. She gestured with her head towards Meys, and Raditz nodded. He floated over to Meys, and head-butted the other Saiyan on the forehead.

"I do not care about High Class or Low Class. We are the last of the Saiyans. Our lot in life _sucks._ I am not a warrior. I am a cook. I am a mother. Those are the things I love. But until we are powerful enough to earn the things we want, for the things we love, we fight. We train. We stick together. If Nappa and Vegeta are going to disregard us because they think we're worthless, we prove them wrong, because if we drift apart, _we go extinct. _I have _no intention_ of going extinct, so you will fall in line, you will get more powerful, and next time, _you will blow up those guns yourselves_. Not because of what _should _happen, but because if you don't, _we all die._"

She glared at them; their heads were hanging in shame. She sighed, "Vegeta is right, you do need pride. Being told you need something isn't the same as getting it. We are stronger together. Earn that pride. Fight harder. We're Saiyans. We'll learn what that means. But it won't matter if we perish."

"I'm proud to follow you, Lady Gine," Meys shouted, rubbing his head.

"You were there for us when Vegeta wasn't, you and Raditz!" Shive said, "I'll take you over the Royal Brat any time."

"We'll stick with Nappa and Vegeta, but as far as I'm concerned, _you're_ our leader."

_Oh by the Moons of Old Sadala this is the last thing I want,_ Gine groaned to herself. The Saiyans were all saluting her.

"I. Am. _The. Cook,_" Gine hissed.

"And you saved our lives," Avacada said.

"We'll cover for you, mother," Raditz said, "We'll go back, and take Vegeta's anger, and finish the cooking, and we'll celebrate our victory. We'll have to cheer Vegeta, but our toasts will be to you."

Gine never missed Bardock more than that moment.

Kneeling for extended periods of time was not good exercise. It was just uncomfortable. But when expecting to be in the audience of the Emperor Frieza, you knelt as long as it took for him to deign to appear.

And so they knelt.

For five hours.

While Dodoria snickered and watched them squirm.

Finally, an Elite Guard appeared, "Presenting his eminence, Lord Frieza!"

The Emperor floated in on his hover-chair, a smirk on his face as he glanced over the lot of them. None of the Saiyans dared even twitch until spoken to. Gine took heavy breaths; she tried to not think about the fact this was the slime that killed her planet.

Killed her people.

Killed her Bardock.

She started to recite recipes in her head.

"So, Vegeta, you and your monkeys took over Gellow?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

"Took you long enough."

Vegeta did not reply; he had not been asked a question. Frieza stared at the Saiyans, waiting for a reaction. Gine was too busy imagining cooking a casserole to look at the reactions of the others.

"I'm given to understand they had some powerful guns to deal with. How did you deal with them, Vegeta?"

Vegeta glanced back at the other Saiyans; they were still covered in bandages from their battle with the Gellow.

"We took them on in a coordinated head-on assault. Once the guns were destroyed, we made short work of their soldiers."

"What's this _we,_ Vegeta? I was given to understand your _low-class warriors_ did all the dirty work," Frieza said.

"It was a simple matter to deal with, so I left it to them," Vegeta insisted, "As you can see, it worked out."

"Very well. So who is the hero of the hour, then, Vegeta? You'll have to point them out, I have a hard time telling you monkeys apart."

Vegeta froze, trying to think of the best answer.

"Lord Frieza! It was Gine who led the attack, my lord!" Meys declared. Gine suddenly stopped breathing.

_Not. Helping. Meys._

"And which one is this Gine?" Frieza asked. Vegeta lifted a hand, hesitated, and then gestured to Gine.

"She is the...Squad Leader of the low-class Saiyans, Lord Frieza," Vegeta did all he could not to choke on the words.

"Wait, I was given to understand that you only had one female, and she was a cook? Tell me, Vegeta, are you sending your cook to do your job for you?" Frieza asked. There was silence, until Nappa spoke up.

"I've been training her, Lord Frieza, and she has proven a greater warrior than expected," Nappa insisted, "Surely, the potential of even the lowliest Saiyan is of great worth to you, my lord."

"A cook who can conduct war? Very interesting. You know, I've been wanting to taste something a bit new. I may just take her off your hands, Vegeta," Frieza said.

Gine turned cold at the prospect.

"If that is your will, my Lord," Vegeta said.

_Why did he have to call Frieza's bluff?_

"You wouldn't want me cooking your meals, Lord Frieza," Gine heard her say.

_What am I doing?_

She looked up and smiled at him, "You know us Saiyans, we'll eat just about anything we pick up off the ground. I'm sure anything I could smear onto a plate would be far beneath your grand pallete, your majesty. Really, I just roast the meat."

The scream in Gine's head was the loudest thing in the room.

Until Frieza burst into laughter.

"Well at least one of you monkeys knows their place!" Frieza chimed, "Good work with Gellow, Gine. You'll receive the full payment for the takeover. I expect your next conquest to go even smoother."

Frieza turned and left, and one of his guards left a box in the middle of the room. Shive and Celtus rushed over to pick up their reward, and the Saiyans rushed out of the chambers, returning to the rooms reserved for them elsewhere in the city.

None of the Saiyans said a word on the way there. Once they arrived, Vegeta immediately went to his room. The rest of the Saiyans gave Gine nods, and they went off to their own tasks. Raditz went to his mother, but Nappa stepped in front of her, glaring.

"We need to talk."

"You can_not_ talk to Lord Frieza like that."

"Why not? He laughed. Better than what the Prince managed to do."

"Do you have ANY idea what he'll do if we talk out of turn Make him angry? What his goons will do? Not even Prince Vegeta can match Frieza's elites. You put us _all_ in danger, and I won't have that."

"You won't _have_ it? The only reason any attention at all was brought onto me was because _I _had to save the rest of the team! If _you_ and Vegeta had done your _jobs _and provided some _support,_ I wouldn't have had to get involved. Instead, Vegeta decided it was a better idea to taunt me about _how my son was about to get himself killed._"

Nappa crossed his arms, "They got themselves into that situation."

"Because they thought they could rely on _you._ Instead, I had to step in. They wanted to leave you and Vegeta behind, collect the reward themselves, and split off. _I_ talked them out of it. You're going to be _lucky_ if they listen to a damn thing you say, without me having to repeat it for you. If your loyalty is to Vegeta, and Vegeta alone, then as far as the rest of us are concerned, we're separate teams. Otherwise, you need to re-earn their respect."

"We're the only thing keeping Frieza and his men from slaughtering us all!" Nappa said. She sucker-punched him in the chest, firmly implanting him into the wall.

"Frieza made up his mind about slaughtering us all a long time ago, Nappa!" Gine stood before him, "Nappa, we CANNOT split apart. We need each other because we are _dead_ if we don't stick together, if we don't have each other's backs."

"Just a bunch of low-class wretches," Nappa pulled himself out of the wall, snarling through his teeth. He grabbed her, slamming her onto the floor, and then kicked her across the room. Gine pushed herself back up to her feet, and breathed through the pain.

"You need to listen, Nappa," she said, and fired two blasts at him. The first, he saw coming, straight to his face, and tossed it aside; it was a weak attempt, but the second was a much more powerful shot, striking him in the leg and causing him to stumble, and she kicked him in the forehead, sending him reeling back .Nappa would eventually overpower her through sheer stamina and force, but she could fight clever.

"Do you REALLY think General Cubeb sent me to be the Prince's _cook_, Nappa? Did you not put two minutes of thought into that? I was _on Planet Vegeta_ before I came to you," Gine said, taking steps back as Nappa began to loom over her, backing her against the wall.

She winced as his arm lashed out, at first to grab her, but instead, he pressed his hand against the wall, lowered his head to be at the same level as hers. When she realized he hadn't hit her, she regained her composure.

"What are you talking about?"

"General Cubeb didn't send me. My husband, Bardock, did," she said.

"Against the return order?"

"_Because_ of the return order, Nappa. It's why I've been trying to keep everyone alive. Why I asked you to train Raditz. Why _I've _been training. Nappa, I _hate_ fighting in war. It's _disgusting_ and it's pointless. Half the time it's not even a challenge, I don't feel like a Saiyan slaughtering people!" Gine told him. She then sucker-punched him again in the chest, sending him skidding across the room.

"You had _better_ stop that," he growled.

"Bardock knew that Frieza's men were looking into old Saiyan legends, Nappa. The general return was suspicious and pointless, but nobody questioned it! So he sent me to look after our son, Raditz, while he investigated, because he believed Frieza was planning on destroying us all. Nappa, Planet Vegeta wasn't destroyed by a meteor.

"Think about that! How would we have _missed_ an incoming meteor, with _every single Saiyan_ on the planet? Even if we _did_ miss it, we had more than enough Elites and firepower to destroy such an object! To _obliterate_ it! Think about how Frieza talked to us, talked to _Prince Vegeta_, just today! Nappa, I said what I did because I thought Frieza was going to kill us all. He's already _made up_ his mind about us, so he's just _toying_ with us, sending us on increasingly difficult missions until we either get ourselves killed, which means he profits, or until he gets bored and has Zarbon off us all. I'm only alive because Bardock was paranoid enough to send us off."

Nappa grinded his teeth and paced, his head running.

"But that-"

He paced.

"It would mean-"

He paced back, then looked over his shoulder.

"I need to look into something," he declared, and stormed out of the room. Gine slumped against the wall, and hugged her legs. A few moments later, Raditz opened the door, looking grim.

"Raditz?"

"Was it true? Everything you told Nappa?" Raditz asked.

"Oh Raditz, come here, He came over, and they embraced.

"I miss him," Raditz said, "I miss father. I even miss the brat."

"I miss Bardock so much. And I miss Kakarot more than anything. But remember, Kakarot is alive somewhere. And we have each other. _This_ is why I said we need to be strong, because Frieza wants us dead, not just because we're on our own. Raditz, you need to learn to be a leader, for the other low-class warriors. If I do it, Vegeta will see me as a threat. But you? He'll expect you to be the dominant Saiyan of the five of you, okay?"

"Do you think I'm ready?"

"No," she admitted, "But that doesn't mean it's not time, Raditz. You need to get more powerful. _They_ need to get more powerful, okay?"

He touched his forehead to hers, "I just wanted to build scouters."

"And _I_ just wanted to cook," she said, "Yet here we are."

"I won't fail us," Raditz promised, "I'm earning that liver sausage again."

Gine patted him on the cheek, and then pulled on his hand, "You know, what Raditz? It's time you learned how to do it yourself. Come on, follow me."

Raditz and Gine were up to their wrists in viscera when Nappa returned, looking glum and holding a datapad.

"Before you say anything, Nappa," Gine held up a hand when Nappa began to talk, "Raditz already knows. Anything you say, you can say in front of him."

Nappa looked at Raditz, and nodded, "Fine. But you don't repeat a _word_ to _anyone._ Not even Prince Vegeta. You take this to _your grave_ if you have to."

Raditz held up a bit of liver, and chopped it in half for emphasis, "To the grave."

Nappa put the datapad on a clean counter, "I just went through some mission records from back then. Did...Did you know Bardock's team?"

"Bardock's Buccaneers," Gine nodded, "I used to fight alongside them."

"Your husband's squad, they were recorded as KIA while on Kanassa, just hours before Vegeta was destroyed," Nappa said, "I found records that states they managed to get one message before their time of deaths."

Nappa rubbed his forehead, "It would have arrived just before you left the planet. Just before Dodoria would have returned from a neighboring system to Vegeta. Just in time to reunite with any...Theoretical assets that may have also been joining the general recall for a planned campaign."

"So you're saying that Dodoria killed Bardock's team, but not before they sent him a warning?" Gine said, not even looking up from her cooking. Raditz crushed the knife handle he had in his hand; she simply took it from him, and handed him another, "Raditz, keep focused on what you're doing."

"But that _monster_-"

"Will _remain untouched," _she told him, "No matter how much it might anger you to look at him, you will do _nothing_ to Dodoria, understand me, Raditz?"

Raditz looked back to his work, "Yes, mother."

"You need to stay focused. Control yourself, Raditz. Dodoria's time will come-_when_ we're ready," she assured him. Once the liver was properly minced, spiced, and mixed, they filled the casing and let the sausages cook on the frying pan; there was plenty even for the three stress-eating Saiyans.

"I wish we could tell Vegeta," Nappa confessed, "But I'm afraid what it would do to him. I think he'd fall apart. He's already so...Isolated."

"I'll stick to cooking as much as I can. I already made him angry today. Raditz will act as squad leader for the others. We all need to get stronger. Stronger than Dodoria, stronger than Zarbon, than the Ginyus," Gine said.

"Which means taking on stronger and stronger contracts," Raditz said, a slight tightness in his voice.

"I'll talk Vegeta into it," Nappa said.

"I'm going to get some rest, then, if we're going to be training as a team," Raditz announced, taking the last piece of sausage and earning a glare from Nappa.

"Good night, Raditz," Gine said.

"Goodnight, mother."

Gine began to clean up her little personal kitchen they were sitting in, while Nappa poked at the bits of sausage and liquid on his plate.

"You should get some sleep, too."

Nappa licked the juices off his fingers, and looked to Gine, "While we're promising to keep secrets, I've got one more."

She leaned over on the counter, "What's that?"

"I'm terrified."

Gine watched him stare off at the wall while he licked off his hands.

Nappa shook his head, "I'm terrified of Frieza, and of his men, and the idea of just...Getting killed. Without a fight. Without a _chance_, like everyone on Planet Vegeta. Just...Fire, and then...Nothing...I know I should be disgusted by my own fear. But it's hanging there like...Like a wall."

Gine picked up Nappa's plate, and placed it on the counter, then turned to him.

"I know, Nappa. I've felt that for the last ten years. Not just from Frieza, but from Vegeta, too. I don't know when he'll just...Flip and kill one of us because of the slightest failure,and none of us can control him."

He held out his hand; she took it, "I won't let him do that."

"I know you'll try," Gine squeezed his thumb until she watched him wince, "Bardock made that promise to me."

She pulled herself toward him.

"It wasn't enough."

"Together, then?"

Gine sat on his lap, and kissed him.

"Together."


	4. Kikono

_One year later, age 748 (Earth Age)_

"What is that _thing_ on your face?" Vegeta demanded, stepping out of the pod. They were on some uninhabited world known for its fearsome beasts capable of using _ki_, and their team had been tasked with both capturing enough for breeding and studying, and otherwise wiping the creatures out. Vegeta, Nappa, and Gine had just arrived after a different mission, striking at the Galactic Patrol after they got a bit uppity.

"You like it? I grew it myself," Meys wiggled the moustache on his face. It was a thin thing, spreading across his lip. He was working on a goatee, as well, but the two failed to meet in the middle for a fuller beard.

"It's disgusting. Get rid of it."

Meys crossed his arms, and lifted his chin, "Is that an order, Prince Vegeta?"

"Meys, maybe you should-" Nappa started, but Gine held his arm.

Vegeta scowled at Meys, "When your Prince tells you something, it's Holy Writ."

Meys shrugged, pulled out a knife, and threw it into the ground between them, "If you hate my moustache so much, shave it yourself. Otherwise, you're the Prince of Saiyans, not moustaches."

Vegeta looked at the knife, and then at Meys.

"All right."

Meys let out a yelp as Vegeta charged straight at him, pulling the knife out of the ground as he flew, and tackled the Saiyan across the field. Meys tried to stand, but Vegeta was far too fast for him, and the Prince pinned Meys on the ground. Meys punched Vegeta a few times in the face and chest, but Vegeta pressed Meys's head to the ground.

"Hold still, you don't want me to cut you," Vegeta warned as he brought Meys's knife up to the Saiyan's face, and began to slowly and carefully scrape Meys's facial hair off.

Gine and Nappa couldn't help but laugh as Meys let out yelps and screams while Vegeta literally shaved him in the middle of the field, in front of all the support personnel and the other Saiyans. Vegeta stabbed the knife into the ground once he was done, and stepped off Meys, who rubbed his lip, his lower lip quivering while his upper lip bled on his glove.

"There. Problem solved," Vegeta said.

Meys stood up, wiping the blood off his shaved lip, and retrieved his knife, "You'll have to keep at it if you want to defeat _my_ moustache, Prince Vegeta! We won't be defeated that easily, mark my words, one day you won't take it from me!"

"On that day you may actually have my respect," Vegeta sneered as he sauntered away. Meys grinned at the Prince's back, wiped off his knife, and put it back into his holster, before floating towards Gine and Nappa.

"What was that all about?" one of the Frieza Force support personnel asked. Gine shrugged.

"Saiyan Pride. You wouldn't understand."

"Welcome to Nudal, General Nappa, Gine," Meys said, "We're all set up over that ridge."

"What's your progress?" Nappa asked as they began to walk with him to the base.

"We've got all the subjects the eggheads wanted already, and they tell us we've got the beasts sixty-percent wiped out in the wild," Meys said, "Was a bit challenging at first, but we've got the hang of it now. Should be done before the end of the week, I think."

"End of the week? Why so long?" Nappa demanded. Meys shrugged.

"It's not like we're wiping out bases, which we can find from orbit and wipe out in a few hours and force a government into surrender. We're hunting down critters that cover the whole planet, including their polar regions. Imagine trying to kill every grainrat on Planet Vegeta. We've taken to calling them Demsu. It's kind of shame we're wiping them out, they'd be great training for Saiyan kids to train against. Might make good pets."

"What kids?" Nappa growled. Meys shrugged.

"Good point. Just saying, I wish we had Demsu when I was a tot," Meys said. He punched his hand, "Might be fun to kick some ass with a little buddy following me around. Like a story, you know? A Saiyan and his pet Demsu."

"We'll keep it in mind, Meys," Gine laughed. When they arrived at the home base, Gine quickly found her tent, and hung up her pack, sat on the bed, and waited, wringing her hands. It was good to see Meys in a happy mood, even after Vegeta deciding to shave his moustache. He was standing up for himself without directly challenging the Prince of Nappa, which was a good sign; she hoped this would all become a sort of good humor between the Saiyans, High and Low class.

"Gine?" Nappa called to her.

"I'm in here," she called out, and Nappa opened the flap, a short, thin, yellow alien wearing Frieza Force armor stepping in before he did, with a smirk on his face.

"We _cannot_ trust him," Nappa gestured to the alien as soon as he was inside, "Why did you even contact him?"

Gine counted on her fingers, "First, because he's the only one with the clearance to keep this quiet. Second, he knows more about Saiyans than any other scientist alive. Third, he's far too curious to see how this plays out to say anything. Isn't that right, Kikono?"

The alien's grin showed his delight at the situation presented to him. Despite his being in such incredible danger, he was in full control of everything, and the Saiyans knew it.

"You're lucky these Demsu are so interesting on their own, otherwise I probably would have just let one of my underlings handle this, and who _knows_ who they'd talk to," Kikono cooed.

"You're lucky we-" Nappa started to hiss at him.

"We are grateful for your time and expertise, Doctor," she interjected, bowing to him, "This is a great concern to me, and there are few who could have handled this."

"Hmm, quite," Kikono glanced up at Nappa, who was clearly holding himself back from pummeling him, "Frankly I never thought I'd be working with Saiyans again, this was a rare treat, really. I've studied your people for a long time."

"The pleasure is mine, Doctor. Do you have the results?" Gine asked. Kikono handed her a datapad, which he unlocked and handed over to Gine.

"Congratulations, hormone balances tell me it's a girl."

Nappa's rage was dropped instantly as he rushed over to read the datapad along with Gine. She tapped on the datapad to show where it confirmed what Kikono had just said; Nappa let out a cheer and squeezed Gine in a bear hug which she tried to squirm her way out of.

Kikono chuckled, "You Saiyans aren't usually this sentimental."

"Things change when your species is on the brink of extinction," Gine took in a breath.

Kikono nodded, "That's one way of looking at it."

"Wait, what about a chamber?" Nappa asked, "How are we going to get our hands on one? There's only going to be a few of them left, at least for Saiyans."

Kikono shrugged, "I'm sure I could dig one up from storage somewhere...But it will cost you."

Nappa clenched his fist, "What's the price?"

"Don't worry about it," Gine shook her head, "Because it's like you said, Nappa. We can't trust him. If we take an Incubation Chamber from him, he could flush the baby at any time, without us being able to do anything. The birth of this child would be in the hands and at the whim of Lord Frieza, and I won't have that."

Kikono tilted his head, studying Gine carefully, and pondered what she'd said.

"Then what are we going to do for an incubation chamber? I bet Raditz could build one out of the equipment here, and then we'd have full control! We could even put it in a pod, and have it follow us through our missions, and nobody would know!" Nappa nodded, satisfied with his solution, "See? We don't need you after all!"

"That's not what she's thinking," Kikono remarked, cocking an eyebrow and standing straight, "You're not going to use one, are you?"

Gine squeezed her glove while holding her eyes shut. She only opened her eyes to confirm that Nappa was trying to figure out what was just said, and saw the look of shock on his face appear.

"You can't possibly mean-" he stammered.

"Think about it, Nappa," Gine pleaded, "One way or another, Frieza is going to find out about this baby. If we have it in a Chamber, they're going to destroy it, and if that happens, you and I, we wouldn't stop fighting until we were killed. We'd _all_ get wiped out trying to avenge this baby, and nobody would know why."

"But if _you_ carry the baby, then none of your enemies will risk taking such a bold, open move," Kikono extrapolated, "They'll still try, you know."

"When they do, I'll just kill them myself, and we'll see just how _committed_ my enemies are," Gine shrugged. Kikono nodded.

"Are you sure about this? There's a lot of different things we could do. What about...Maybe sending it to...You know…" Nappa gestured to the sky beyond the tent, avoiding the word 'Kakarot.' Gine nodded.

"It's a good idea, but no. This is our baby, Nappa. Our pride, our future. This will push us, make us stronger, and we will show the whole galaxy that the Saiyans are not done yet. That we protect our own. I want to give this child what's best, but that isn't as clear as it was before. So I'd rather have her close at hand, where I can defend her myself, rather than relying on trickery or exile or technology," Gine explained. Nappa rested his forehead against hers, smiling.

"Together."

"Together."

Kikono groaned, "Well if you insist on gestating it yourself, that gives me some opportunities to study it further. So long as you indulge me with the occasional test, Gine, you'll have no leaks from me. Do we have a deal?"

"Nothing remote," Gine said, "You do them in person, at _our_ location. Raditz will assist you. You use _no_ equipment he isn't familiar with."

Kikono held out his hands to placate, "All reasonable requests. Anything else?"

"No assistants, nobody knows. Not even a driver," Gine added, "And I expect you to hold to the spirit of this agreement. I don't want to have to list off a billion exceptions just for you to bring in a roach with a camera or something and claim innocence because I didn't specify it."

"On my honor, then," Kikono bowed to her.

"As if," Nappa muttered.

"One does not break the trust of a Saiyan. You know how we deal with slights to our pride."

"Of course. I expect we will be on this planet for quite some time; these Demsu are far more interesting than originally thought. I think this experiment may be extended while we conduct fuller research into the ecological needs of the Demsu. We may need to extend your contract here, though I don't think there's any need to hold up _all_ of your team. Consider who you can spare; I think we'll only need three on-planet or so," Kikono stepped towards the flap, "You should consider who would be best suited for this mission."

Gine and Nappa exchanged glances as Kikono left; the implication was clear: Nappa wouldn't be on-planet for the child's arrival.

Gine, Raditz, and Meys were the ones left on the planet, dealing with the Demsu. Nappa had properly threatened Meys to protect Gine and the baby or be disintegrated; at first it had shaken Meys, but he quickly took to the idea of becoming an 'Uncle Meys' and, to hear him tell it, he'd planned out every milestone for his 'niece.'

Raditz was understandably paranoid about Kikono, and quickly because the head scientist's 'field assistant' on the planet. The truth was, Raditz was like his father, and was far more technically-minded than most people gave Saiyans credit for. As a result, he took to the role, building and testing his own tools for his duties, and learning the equipment Kikono was using both on the Demsu and for his fetal sister.

Gine allowed nothing to slow or stop her duties; they were here to observe and exterminate the Demsu, and even as her pregnancy became obvious, she kept pushing herself to work and train even harder. Meys was concerned about this, of course, but quickly became Raditz and Gine's sparring partner when he decided that any alternatives were too risky.

Kikono was only able to visit for a few days each month, assuaging fears of his trying some underhanded tactic; the three Saiyans were left to their own devices, and Raditz conducted most of the tests the scientist wanted.

As they had less than a year, only so much on the Demsu could be learned. Mostly, they were tagged and observed by drones until the scientists decided that they had enough data, at which point the three Saiyans were called in to first capture live specimens, and then wipe out packs of the creatures. There were different kinds of Demsu, with the largest being as tall at the shoulder as Gine was. These largest were omnivores, living in nomadic herds that ate anything they could dig, scavenge, or kill. The smallest were capable of both unpowered and Ki flight, and would fly straight at flying prey; these would sometimes hunt in swarms, and were the most dangerous to exterminate or capture, as they required the swarms to mate. This meant they'd had to capture hundreds of live specimens.

The Saiyans had killed off a few colonies in frustration with those.

Most Demsu, however, were no taller at the shoulder than Gine's waist, and about the size and weight of the average Saiyan. They were capable of Ki abilities like strength boosts, speed, and ki blasts from their mouth, which they used for ranged attacks, territorial or mating fights, and even cooking their food. They were extremely intelligent, and most of the Saiyans' time was spent wiping out packs of these animals.

Kikono's instruction to study the Demsu in greater detail made it seem, on the surface, that progress was slow, but the truth was that they were on schedule to wipe them out. The three of them were capable of wiping out entire regions of the creatures with their scouters, and the release of invasive animals made tracking down nests a non-issue: Once the parents were slain, the Demsu litters would be wiped out by creatures trained to sniff them out.

It was brutal and sickening work; Gine went to bed every night feeling like a hypocrite, no better than Frieza.

The constant fighting and hunting of the creatures had done quite well for their power, however; even Raditz was peaking a Power Level over 3,000 these days, while Meys had hit 2,000. Gine had yet to admit to Raditz that she had matched Nappa's original 4,000, though Nappa had surpassed that to about 6,000 by pushing himself to keep ahead of her.

There was an old wive's tale that the real reason that Saiyans had switched to Incubation Chambers was that, once Power Levels could be easily measured, they realized Saiyan women grew far more powerful after childbirth, and they simply said the reason for the switch was so that Saiyan women could keep fighting. Gine didn't feel more powerful, just constantly having to pee and nauseous.

The first attempt on Gine was when a pen of Demsu was knocked open while the Saiyans were dragging live specimens into pens. They were some of the largest Demsu specimens they'd collected, and the creatures knocked Meys aside immediately, who had let off a yell that had warned Raditz and Gine to get out of the way. They spent the rest of the day wrangling the creatures, and only found out it was intentional when the security chief, some orange alien with big eyes named Lemo, told them what he'd discovered during his investigation. Raditz accepted Lemo's offer to take the life of the criminal by feeding the perpetrator to the same Demsu the alien had released.

The second attempt was more overt; a sniper attempted to shoot her, but Lemo, already on his toes after the last attempt, intercepted the sniper before he'd been able to shoot. It wouldn't have been enough to kill her even if the sniper had managed to hit her; her power had grown out of the range of most conventional blaster weaponry. The sniper, too, had been fed to the Demsu, and Lemo swore that no more attempts would happen under his watch.

Lemo nearly kept his promise, but the third and final couldn't have been helped, as it was committed by a member of the Ginyu Force.

The delivery date was only a few weeks away when Kikono returned, this time for the preparation of the final extermination of the Demsu. They'd collected as many samples as they felt necessary to breed and reseed the species if the Frieza Force desired, and, officially, Kikono was here to review the final results. The project had been extended further than originally anticipated, and thus well over-budget, and, as head of Research and Development, Kikono was responsible for determining if the endeavor was worth the extra expenditures.

Of course the fact it coincided with the birth of the Saiyan child was coincidental.

Kikono had Gine and Raditz in his lab, when the door chime buzzed.

"Go away, I'm busy."

All three of them looked to the door when the security override was activated.

"What is the meaning of this!" Kikono hissed. Raditz held up his hand, charging a Ki blast when Lemo entered, holding a blaster. Instead of gawking at them, he peeked back through the door, before shutting it. He looked over at the three in the lab, and he went a bit pale.

"Erm, sorry for the...Intrusion, Doctor, but you all need to get out of here," Lemo said.

"I'm a little busy _giving birth_, Lemo," Gine growled at him.

"Yeah, I figured, which is why it's a _really_ inconvenient time for a member of the Ginyu Force to show up with about a dozen goons," Lemo explained, "Guess where they're going to look for you _first?_"

GIne took a few breaths, trying to focus, "So either I give birth _right now_ or we find a way for us to run."

"I'll take care of this," Raditz said, stepping forward towards the door.

"No! Raditz, they'll kill you!"

"They'll try."

Raditz stepped out of the door. Lemo looked over at Gine and Kikono, and followed him out. They were quickly joined by Meys-as well as a half dozen armed Frieza Force soldiers, and Guldo, his hands on his hips, looking smug.

"Saiyan. You're in the way. I need to speak with the Doctor," Guldo said.

"The doctor is busy right now and can't be interrupted. You'll have to come back later," Raditz said, crossing his arms.

"Well see that's just too bad, I've got _urgent_ business, so whatever the Doctor is working on can wait. So I'll say this only once more, _get out of my way,_ Saiyan. Though, if you _really_ want to play, I'm more than happy to oblige you," Guldo snickered. Lemo switched on his scouter to get a reading on Guldo and his goons; 1,000 for each goon, and 19,000 for Guldo himself. Raditz was clocked at 3k, and Meys at 2k. Lemo couldn't even use Ki attacks, and might as well not even have a Power Level; all he had was his blaster, and he knew how unconventional and dangerous Guldo was.

Lemo's eyes widened when he realized something. He looked to the Saiyans, then at Guldo. Lemo swallowed, and booked it away from what was about to be a battlefield, ignored by the real fighters.

Raditz assumed a fighting stance, "You're just going to have to be patient, because you're not getting in here."

"Then you'll just have to die. Men? Get him."

The soldiers flew into action, letting loose with Ki blasts as they charges, forcing Raditz and Meys to block the attacks. They charged straight into the melee, knowing they were outnumbered, while Guldo watched his soldiers beat down on the Saiyan pair, laughing all the while.

Guldo, however, had not anticipated the Saiyans' training. Raditz and the Saiyan squad had been training together now for years, and they were used to fighting in small groups against larger numbers of opponents. As a group, the Saiyans were overpowered, but these soldiers weren't trained and drilled to work as a pair the way they were. Instead of a team power level of 12,000, the soldiers were instead 12 men with Power Levels of 1,000, and the Saiyans knew how to divide and conquer a group like that with ease, and they made short work of the squad, leaving Guldo steaming.

"Looks like the Chief decided to be a coward and bowed out," Meys said, panting; just because they won didn't mean he hadn't taken a number of hits.

"Only the strong can be cowardly," Raditz said, flexing his fists, "The weak have no place on the battlefield."

"Then why are you here?" Guldo chuckled, "Just because you beat my men doesn't mean you've got a chance against me! I'm Guldo, of the Ginyu Force, and _you're dead!_"

Guldo let out a series of Ki blasts at the Saiyans, more than they could keep up with, and holes were blown into the side of the lab. Raditz and Meys flew straight at Guldo, ready to lay down some physical attacks, but Guldo held his breath to freeze the pair, and strutted over into the lab through the holes he'd made.

"Well well well, look at what we have here," Guldo snickered, "A momma monkey and her little baby. So cute, I could just pinch their little heads off."

Kikono stepps back from Gine and the baby, "I have what I need, just leave me out of this!"

"Oh, no, Doctor, don't think you're getting off that easily. You allowed this to happen, so when I'm through with them, I'm taking you right to Lord Frieza. He'll be _very_ interested in what I've found here," Guldo taunted. Gine slid off the table, holding the baby tight to her chest. Her legs wanted to buckle, but she willed them to keep standing, and be ready to run.

"Ah, ah, ah, you can't hide and you can't run from Guldo!" he taunted, raising his arm and firing. Gine was quick, though, and dodged the attack, while Kikono fled his lab.

"You Saiyans are a real pain in the ass!" he kept firing while Gine ran from the blasts. His large eyes on the sides of his head rotated and gazed at Raditz and Meys, who were flying at him again. Guldo froze the Saiyans and picked up lab equipment laying around him with his telekinesis, and pelted the junk at them, sending them sprawling from the blows. Gine fired a blast, hitting him square in the face, and he turned his gaze to her.

"All right, that's enough of that!" he snarled, and stopped; Gine was no longer holding the child, "Damn you! Where's the brat?"

Gine replied by holding up both her hands and shouting, "BROILER!"

Guldo let out a scream as the flaming Ki blast enveloped his head, and he patted it out with his hands. Meys and Raditz struck Guldo, sending him flying out of the lab and away from the compound, allowing Gine to grab the baby from where she'd hidden her, and run in the opposite direction. Meys and Raditz chased after Guldo, who was standing and snarling at them when they'd arrived.

"All right, I've had enough of this!" he bellowed, pulling boulders out of the ground, "You all die now!"

"Double Sunday!" Raditz yelled, firing off his special move to get a sudden burst of speed to dodge the boulders. Meys was not so lucky, and was smacked head-on by the attack. Just before Raditz collided with Guldo, the mercenary held his breath, and ran away from Raditz to a better spot, where he would more easily fling objects at him. He let his breath go, and laughed as Raditz face-planted right into the hill.

"You know what else is funny?" Guldo heard someone say. He spun around, and was met with a flamethrower to the face as Lemo pulled the trigger on the weapon he'd run to retrieve. As Guldo screamed and patted at his face to get the ignited fluid off of him, Raditz had recovered, and landed before Guldo.

The weakest member of the Ginyu Force let out a wheeze as he tried to catch his breath, only to feel pain and start to cough, and then felt nothing as Raditz ended him with a Saturday Crush. Raditz fell to his knees over Guldo's corpse, and he started to laugh.

"Oh, man...Oh, no, no, this is bad, what did I just do, oh no…" Lemo started to hyperventilate at the implications of what he'd just done.

"You," Raditz pointed his finger at Lemo, "You just saved us all."

"And now we're dead. We are so dead, so dead…"

"No, see, Guldo's not a bright man," Raditz stood up, "And he decided he could _handle_ the Demsu, and decided to get a closer look. But they're grumpy, and we haven't been treating them well."

"Wait...are you suggesting...We feed them to the Demsu a _third_ time?" Lemo asked. Raditz shrugged.

"It's a dangerous planet. And with so many...His men fought _so bravely_ to rescue their commander, it's a shame they perished with him," Raditz laughed, "Really, people have to be more careful around the beasts."

Lemo scratched his head, "If this gets back to me, I'm a dead man, Raditz."

"We're all dead if they decide to care," Raditz picked up Guldo's body, "Good work with the flamethrower. I didn't expect you to come back."

"Well, I figured, if his special power requires him to hold his breath, then let's make it hard for him to breathe," Lemo presented the flamethrower, "Besides, if he beat you, he'd probably have killed everyone here or even blown up the planet just to keep everyone quiet about the whole thing."

Lemo rolled his eyes, "You know. Meteor crash. Terrible coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

Raditz let out a grunt, and flew over to Meys, who was digging himself out.

"Sorry about that, Raditz," Meys coughed, "Bastard's faster than I gave him credit for."

"We nearly died. You need to get better," Raditz pulled him out, "Thank you."

Meys wiped himself off, and poked at his scouter, "Happy to help. Let's go find Gine."

After dropping Guldo's body into the Demsu pens, they took to the skies, leaving Lemo to haul the rest of the bodies. It took a few hours of searching, but they found Gine following a pack of Demsu to hide her power level. She had spotted them, as well, and, not knowing if they were friend or foe, she fled to a cave, and laid an ambush for them which nearly took Meys's head off.

"GINE! Watch it, it's us!" he yelped. She stepped out of the darkness, covered in blood and dirt, clutching the baby.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Lemo came out with a flamethrower, and torched his face, like your Broiler attack. Then I killed him with a Saturday Crush. We're feeding him and his men to the Demsu, like the other attackers," Raditz explained. Gine let out a sigh of relief.

"If I have another baby, I'm taking my chances with the Incubation Chamber," she lamented, and held up the Saiyan girl, who squirmed and fussed, "Raditz? Say hello to your baby sister."

Raditz leaned over, and offered his finger; the baby squeezed it.

"Ah! She's got Nappa's grip!" he laughed, "Ow! Give it back!"

"She got a name?" Meys asked, grinning at her. Gine wiped the baby's head with her shirt.

"Yeah. Her name is Brussa."


	5. Arrival

The fact they weren't immediately shot down over the planet was a good sign.

Officially, the operation with the Demsu ended, and the Saiyans went about the final extermination of the species in the wild on Nudal, which took a couple weeks more. Kikomo remained on-planet for the duration, ostensibly to oversee the final steps, but it was obvious he was terrified of further reprisals from the Ginyu Force or, worse, from Frieza himself. He even chose to return with the Saiyans aboard his ship, which meant they would return to Frieza Planet 17 together, and just after Vegeta and Nappa returned, as well.

"Well, Raditz, I'm either ignored or done for," Lemo said to the Saiyan, "I'd say it was a pleasure fighting with you, but that was a nightmare I hope I never repeat."

"You thought fast, and saved my family, Chief. Thank you. And if anyone asks, I never met you," Raditz shook his hand.

"And the same to you," Lemo nodded, and disembarked.

"Well, I suppose I should, ah, be, um, getting back to my, ah, lab," Kikono said, "I am in so much trouble, aren't I?"

Gine laid her hand on his shoulder, "If we can, we'll protect you, Kikono. Just message us. You watched over me when you didn't need to."

"He tried selling us out at the first chance he got!" Meys insisted.

"So? He still helped deliver Brussa," Gine pointed out, "Name any Frieza soldier that wouldn't have done the same thing."

"Chief Lemo," Meys grumbled. Gine and Kikono ignored him.

"I'll be sure to call if anything comes up. Hopefully we won't all get...Wiped out in one go…" Kikono swallowed a lump in his throat, and left the ship. Gine led the other Saiyans off the ship, with Raditz cradling Brussa in his arm. The baby was holding Raditz's fingers with all her grip, which was surprisingly mighty for a month-old baby.

Nappa was waiting for them with Vegeta, the former looking like he had to pee, and the other looking like he was trying not to vomit.

"Is it her? Let me see her!" Nappa rushed over to Raditz.

"Naw, we decided she cried too much, so we left her back on Nudle. This is a Demsu pup we adopted instead. Much cleaner," Raditz said. Nappa wasn't listening, he was too busy prying the baby away from Raditz, and wiggling his finger in her face. Brussa reached up and accepted the proffered gift, refusing to let it go.

"Ah-AH! SHe, uh, she's got quite a grip on her! Hehehe," Nappa laughed. He pulled, but couldn't dislodge the finger, "So, what should we name her?"

"Already have," Gine walked up to Nappa and caressed the baby's face, causing her to relax and let go of her father, "I named her Brussa, after your mother. You kept talking about her, so I figured it was a good choice."

"Well, um, yes. Of course it was. My mother was a great and powerful warrior," Nappa declared, hiding the quiver in his voice behind bravado.

"Can we go? I want to get pick out our next mission," Vegeta growled.

"You don't want to say hello to the new baby, Vegeta? She's already got the grip of a titan," Gine offered.

"It's a distraction. She'll only hold us back. You should send it off to conquer some planet, get some use out of her," Vegeta said.

"When she's fighting alongside us, you won't think that," Gine motioned to take Brussa back from Nappa. He didn't notice. Vegeta scoffed, and started walking back to their compound, the other Saiyans in tow.

"You know who I am? I'm your daddy! I'm gonna make sure you get big and strong, just like me! You'll destroy your enemies with half a thought, yes you will!" Nappa cooed at Brussa, who proceeded to baby-punch him in the face to get some space. Vegeta entered their compound first, grumbling about how dark it was in here, flipping on the light.

"Good morning, Prince Vegeta," someone called out from the other side of the front room. Four of the Saiyans took up battle stances at the intruder; it took them a moment to realize who it was. Meys let out a gasp-or a squeak.

"Captain Ginyu," Vegeta had kept his composure, and simply turned to face him, "This is a surprise."

"Shouldn't be, if you knew what your team managed to do on Nudal," Ginyu said, inspecting his fingernails while leaning against the wall, "Or have they not told you yet?"

Nappa held Brussa closer to his chest.

"They only just arrived. What's this about, Ginyu?" Vegeta demanded.

"Oh, well, see, this is an apology. From my team to yours. It seems that our little Guldo took an unsanctioned job, and 'acquired' some gear and men for his little side-gig. Not only that, but he failed. Seems that he got too interested in the local fauna, and got himself jumped," Ginyu explained, "It's such an awful pain when someone else's team gets involved with your operation, isn't it?"

"I do despise distractions," Vegeta remarked, glaring over his shoulder at Gine.

"Sure. Of course, I haven't got the _faintest_ idea what Guldo was there to accomplish, but I understand he made a hell of a mess for your team to clean up. So I thought I'd wait here to give my sincerest apologies," Ginyu bowed to them. There was a tense moment as the Saiyans waited for Vegeta to respond.

To their shock, Vegeta bowed back, and the rest of the Saiyans followed suit.

"We wouldn't dream of compromising our relationship with the Ginyu Force over any misunderstandings," Vegeta said.

"Of course," Ginyu stood back up, "Of course, that _does _leave an opening on our team. I'd offer it to you, Vegeta, but you're busy with your own operations."

"I appreciate the thought," Vegeta crossed his arms, no gratitude seeping from his tone whatsoever.

"Though I have heard that you've got another warrior among you with a great deal of potential. Raditz, isn't it? What do you say? You'd need a bit of training, but we could use a team player like you on the Ginyu Force," Ginyu gestured to Raditz, who froze in place. Raditz glanced at each of the Saiyans. Meys held his hand to his mouth, either hiding his fear or his moustache, or both. Shive was doing his best to become invisible. Nappa was clutching Brussa like she was about to fly away. Gine was staring daggers at Ginyu. Vegeta wasn't even looking at Raditz.

"It's an excellent offer, Captain, but I'm afraid I'll have to turn it down. I already have a team, you see," Raditz gestured to the Saiyans, "With a new member to train and everything."

Ginyu grinned, "You what? I appreciate that. Stick to what keeps you strong. Your team is everything in the heat of battle."

Ginyu pushed off the wall and walked up to the Saiyans. He glanced at the baby, then up to Nappa, and finally to Gine.

"We're looking forward to seeing what she's capable of. We all expect _great things_ from the daughter of such..._Prestigious_ warriors," Ginyu said to her, and he pushed his way through the Saiyans, out the front door.

When he was gone, everyone let go of their breath, and held it again when they realized Vegeta still hadn't shown any reaction at all.

"So, uh, Vegeta," Nappa started. Vegeta was still staring at the door.

"Uh...Vegeta? You okay?"

"You got to him," Vegeta said. They all stared at him, their jaws dropping when Vegeta started to laugh.

"The great Ginyu! I don't know how you managed to piss him off like that, but even Ginyu's worried! A bunch of low-class bumpkins, backing Captain Ginyu into piss-poor threats and shows of bravado!" Vegeta roared with laughter, "We're well on our way."

Vegeta shook his head, and looked at Gine, "I thought your whelp was going to be a nuisance, but we're showing everyone that we can't be touched! You keep that child close, you keep it alive, and you keep it strong, and nobody but Lord Frieza himself will _think_ of challenging us!"

Vegeta chuckled, "You've made me proud to be the Prince of Saiyans."

He pointed at Shive, "Except you. Get some backbone."

He pointed to Meys, "And if you don't get rid of that thing in ten minutes, we're having a repeat of last time, understand?"

Meys replied by pulling out his knife, and putting it into the wall. Vegeta gave him a bloodthirsty grin.

XXX

_Twelve Years Later, Earth Age 761_

"So what's on E-Arth?" Brussa asked, looking over the datapad. At eleven years old, she didn't even reach her brother's knees, but that didn't mean she was lacking in size. Where her mother was small and lithe, Brussa was built like her father, broad and thick. With her small stature, she looked like a muscular bush, as her head ended in the mess that was her mother's hair. All the Saiyans were assembled in their landing zone on a remote, uninhabited world they occasionally used as a launching point.

Raditz leaned down to be closer to her height; she put her hands on her hips and, almost by reflex, scowled at him, and she clenched her fist, only relaxing when Raditz gave her a smile.

"It's not a particularly important planet, but it is where our brother, Kakarot is. You remember we told you about Kakarot?" Raditz asked. Brussa crossed her arms.

"Mom sent him away when our homeworld blew up. Why didn't we get him earlier?"

"Too dangerous, but we're almost ready to make our move, so we should go and get him, and bring him back here. Do you feel ready for _your_ mission?"

"Pff, yeah. I don't know why you're sending me with Shive and Meys. I can handle it myself," she insisted.

"Well, someone has to watch over them, and while I'm getting Kakarot, you're the next best, got it?" Raditz reached out with his finger. Brussa tried to block his hand, but he was too fast for her, and he booped her on the nose. She replied by punching him in the shoulder.

"Well if I have to babysit then," she grumbled.

"If you three get yourselves in trouble, I'm the closest. I'm a couple months away, while Mom and Nappa are almost a _year_ away, okay? We're a team. We've got each other's backs, no matter what," he told her.

"Right. If you're in trouble, go right to you, you're only a couple months away. Got it," Brussa nodded. Raditz laughed, and slapped her on the shoulder.

"Do us proud, kid. I'll see you in a few months, with our brother, okay?"

"Okay, Raditz," Brussa huffed. Gine immediately squeezed her son in a hug.

"Tell your brother I look forward to meeting him," Gine told him.

"Tell him yourself," Raditz said, "I'm bringing him back, by his tail if I need to."

"If he's anything like you, you might," she laughed.

"Shouldn't be any trouble," Nappa said, "We've pushed Raditz as far as he can go, while Kakarot's been alone on a planet for almost twenty years. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance."

"This better not be a waste of our time, Raditz," Vegeta growled, "I don't want you to go off for months at a time when we could have used you somewhere else."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Kakarot shapes up, one way or another, Prince," Raditz bowed, "We won't disappoint you."

Vegeta nodded, "Good."

Raditz waved goodbye to them, before slipping into his pod, and it floated away.

"You ready, kiddo?" Shive asked Brussa. She glowered at him.

"It's 'Mission Leader Kiddo' to you!" she insisted. Shive held up a fist.

"Just because you're _assigned_ the leader doesn't mean you've _earned_ it, kiddo. This is a test, and you _can_ fail," he reminded her.

Nappa loomed over Shive, "You doubting my daughter?"

Shive rubbed his neck, "Well, you know. Just reminding her she's got to prove herself. You know, it's a challenge. She won't back down from a challenge, right?"

Brussa and Nappa gave the same huff of "Course Not."

"All right, into the pods before Shive wets himself," Meys ordered.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"You _resemble_ that."

Gine hugged Brussa; her daughter buried her face in her mother's hair, a familiar comfort to them both.

"I know you'll what needs to be done. Just remember, _together,_ okay? We're all a team," Gine said.

"Yeah, way to repeat Raditz. I've _got this._ I'll be the toughest person in the sector," Brussa insisted.

"Being tough isn't always enough. Remember to _pay attention,_ okay? It's okay to ask if someone else sees something. And if you get hungry-"

"I have to go, mom," Brussa said.

"Okay, sprout. Call Raditz if you-"

"Mom, I _have to go._"

"Bye, Brussa!" Gine wouldn't stop waving as Brussa got into her pod, and the three took off. Nappa rested his hand on her shoulder, and Gine leaned against her.

"Your girl is strong," Vegeta said, "So there's no point in worrying. Let's go, we have a planet to conquer."

"Of course, Prince Vegeta," Gine said, "They'll all be fine."

XXX

"_Arrived in Urth orbit. Awakening subject."_

Raditz let out a stomach-rumbling burp, and spit out a bit of the sleeper fluid into a tube meant for that. The turbulence was always the worst par, though Raditz had a stronger stomach for it than Meys, who always hid his discomfort with extra bravado once he left his pod. The explosion of the impact was a comfort, as it meant the shaking was at an end.

Raditz stepped out of the pod, floating out of the crater. Before him stood an alien, squat and a bit hairier than a Saiyan, but generally shaped the same way. He scowled at the creature.

"The creatures on this planet are still alive? Kakarot failed us…" Raditz groaned.

"Y-You're on my property!" the alien said, and the machine in his hand made a noise as he pumped the handle.

"Yes, and?" Raditz pressed on his scouter, "A power level of five? This is a disaster…"

_BANG!_

Raditz caught the weapon's projectile.

"How many of you are left on this planet?" Raditz demanded. The alien pumped its weapon again, but Raditz flicked the projectile at the creature, breaking the weapon and pushing the alien against its vehicle.

"Not even a brat like Kakarot could have messed this up so much," Raditz grumbled, and he pressed on his scouter, "Something's wrong here."

The scouter ran through all the creatures in the vicinity, before locking onto one within a flight.

"Three hundred twenty two? This thing must be busted! There's no way he's that pathetic!" Raditz snarled, flying toward the power source. During his flight, he stopped, and looked down at the region around him. He cycled his scouter, trying to confirm what he was looking at. Even out here, in the mountains, in this remote area, he could spot several small settlements. Some were little agricultural operations, others were clusters of buildings. Primitive vehicles drove along smooth paths.

"There's no way! KAKAROT! HOW COULD YOU FAIL US?" Raditz shouted, and began firing blasts at every building and settlement he could see. He watched them all impact and explode, wiping out every sign of civilization. He took a breath.

He would find Kakarot. He would beat him within an inch of his life. Then, once he was recovered, they would finish Kakarot's mission together. Mother might object, but she wasn't here, and this was the best they were going to get.

Cycling his scouter again, and, seeing that the power had increased to just under four hundred, he vowed to give the device a workover, before flying straight toward the source.

He found it, in the middle of a wasteland, and he cursed the device once again.

"A Namekian? I don't understand. Where _is_ Kakarot?" he hissed.

"What-What are you? Did you-Those towns!" the Namekian stammered.

"More worthless aliens," Raditz grumbled, "What are you doing here, Namekian? You're much too far from home."

"Namekian? What are you talking about?"

"I'm looking for a Saiyan named Kakarot. Where is he?"

"I don't understand-_What are you?_" the alien took a step back, holding up his arm.

"Are you going to try something, green man? I don't have time for this. Where's Kakarot?"

"Who is Kakarot?"

"Whoever he is, he's not here, so get lost!"

"Tell me, Namekian, how many warriors on this planet have your…" Raditz checked his scouter again. The Namekian was still under four hundred, but the busted thing said the power seemed to be crawling up, "...Scale of power? Because I assure you, I am several fathoms higher.

Raditz was engulfed in a flash of yellow light and heat, but he stepped through the blast.

"Not even a leg hair singed. Now, answer my questions: Who are you, and where is Kakarot!"

"I am-" the Namekian clenched his fists, "I am Piccolo, and this world is rightfully mine! Leave, before I get serious!"

Raditz snorted, "Serious. Right."

He lifted two fingers, and blasted the Namekian, sending him flying off the mesa they were standing on. Raditz simply dropped down after him, and stood over the Namekian, who struggled to stand.

"So, 'Piccolo', do you feel cooperative? You're the only thing my scouter has picked up on that's even worth looking at, and not by much. He should be a warrior of considerable power, much greater than your paltry, what was it? Three hundred sixty five?" Raditz scoffed, before checking the Scouter again. One hundred forty four, "Damn thing!"

Suddenly, it beeped again, and flashed another power level at the Scouter's peripheral range. Raditz looked down at the Namekian.

"What in that direction, about three hundred klicks?" Raditz pointed.

"Th-The ocean," Piccolo coughed, finally standing, and he looked off into the distance, "Where...No...You can't be…"

Piccolo looked to Raditz, a look of horror on his face, "Could it be...Goku?"

"What's a 'Goku'?" Raditz demanded.

"Follow your device. If who you're looking for is who I think it is, you'll find them," Piccolo said, "But mark my words, stranger...I'll find a way to surpass you and your power, and when that happens, you'll regret coming to Earth."

Raditz snorted, "As you say, Namekian. Why don't you stay here, and contemplate your irrelevance, until Kakarot and I come back to wipe you from existence."

Piccolo watched the alien fly off, leaving him in solitude once more, his gi in tatters.

"Goku, I could have surpassed you...But that...It was so beyond either of us...This won't end well, one way or another…"


	6. Brothers

"That's everyone. Tien was hard to get ahold of, but everyone's been told," Bulma said. Goku and Krillin were still on the beach in front of Kame house, just standing there and staring off into the distance. It had been years since she'd seen either of them this intense. Goku hadn't been tense when he'd faced Piccolo, he'd been _excited._ Seeing him scared, seeing him angry...She was glad she'd called the rest of their friends. Had she called enough?

"He's here," Krillian muttered.

"Daddy, what's going on?" little Gohan demanded.

"Stay back, Gohan," Goku commanded, his eyes still up on the skies. Bulma patted the kid on the head, and ushered him back into the house. She looked to Roshi.

"Do you feel it, too? I wish I knew what was going on," she said. Roshi nodded, that solemn look on his face he had when he knew it was time to get serious.

"Yes, I feel it. Whole communities wiped out. It's hard to explain, but think of it like hearing a bunch of noises all the time, you don't notice it. Then, suddenly, there's a much louder single noise, and suddenly, the ones that've always been there are gone. All three of us are feeling that noise, and we all felt those towns get wiped out in an instant. Whatever is going on…" Roshi looked out the window to his students, "It's going to take everything we've got to deal with it."

Krillin took a step back as, suddenly, a new figure was floating above the two warriors. He was tall, as tall as the Ox King, with long, black hair than ran down to his calves. Bulma swallowed the lump in her throat; she wanted to get a closer look, but she had Gohan clutching her leg; she wouldn't let the boy out of her sight.

"Kakarot! I've found you!" the figure announced, floating closer to the ground, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

The figure landed on the beach, his eyes locked on Goku.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here? Why did you kill all those people?" Goku demanded. The man grimaced.

"I'm doing what you were sent here to accomplish, Kakarot. Do you not recognize me?"

"I've never seen you in my life."

The man cocked his head, "Curious. Do you not even recognize your own name, Kakarot?"

Goku clenched his fists, "You're going to answer for what you did to those people, do you hear me?"

"What, are you-" the figure looked Goku up and down, scowling, "It shocks me how much you look like our father. Tell me, Kakarot, did you hit your head as a child?"

Goku looked to Krillin, and then to Bulma in the house, before looking back to the figure, "What if I did?"

The man crossed his arms, "Then I can't exactly blame you for failing us. Perhaps it's for the best, in the end. Listen up, Kakarot, because there's a lot you need to know. Do you know where you came from? Anything about your past?"

"I was found in the woods by my grandfather."

"Nothing before then? About your family, or where you came from?"

Goku shook his head, and his stance was starting to falter.

"Goku, don't listen to this guy! Remember what he did to those people, he's a monster!" Krillin said.

"Monster or not, Kakarot, the truth is that you were sent here to _destroy_ this world, and you failed. The people who sent you will not be pleased, and your weakness puts us all in danger," the man told him.

"Goku is the world's mightiest warrior!" Krillin boasted, "He's a hero who saved the Earth many times from monsters like you!"

The man put his hands on his hips and smiled, "A hero, huh? I've made a career of killing heroes, Kakarot, but I suppose it runs in our blood. Our father was a hero, too. A martyr, who died trying to protect our world. But that is the power we face, Kakarot. A power to whom not even the greatest of warriors can stop."

"Our father-?" Goku muttered.

"That's right, Kakarot. My name is Raditz. Like our father, I scour worlds to sell to the highest bidder on behalf of Emperor Frieza. We come from a race of warriors known as the Saiyans, and we stand on the brink of extinction. Which is why I am here, Kakarot-to retrieve you, my brother. We need every warrior we can, and garner as much goodwill as we can with Lord Frieza," Raditz explained, and he looked around the island.

"Clearly, however, your childhood injury has made you forget everything from your indoctrination, and you have, instead, settled here," Raditz said with a smile, "Our mother won't show it, but she'll be jealous."

"Wait," Bulma stepped out of Kame House, "You're here to _recruit_ Goku? What do you need him for?"

"We have much to discuss, Kakarot. But we cannot delay," Raditz held out his hand, "Come with me."

"Ex-_cuse_ me, I'm _talking_ to you!" Bulma shouted. Raditz scowled at her.

"Tell your pet to be silent or I'll quiet it for you," Raditz told Goku.

"Bulma, get back inside," Goku said.

"WHAT? I'm not taking orders from _either_ of you! I demand an explanation, you come to _my_ planet, kill people, and then order me around?! I don't-"

In a split second, faster than Bulma could follow, Goku flew across the island, ripping a hole through Kame House, sending Roshi onto his ass.

"Hmph, you're lucky Kakarot is so soft, human. That was meant for you," Raditz said to her.

"Y-Yeah, okay, message received," Bulma stammered.

Goku jumped out of the water, soaring over Kame House, and landing next to Raditz, clutching his stomach.

"I-Erph! I won't...Let you hurt anyone else, Raditz!" Goku warned before coughing.

"Seriously, Kakarot, this planet has left you weak. I don't need a weakling, I need a Saiyan Warrior! I need my brother, someone worthy of bearing the legacy of our father! Do you know what will happen to both of us if I come back with you _this_ pitiful?" Raditz shook his head, "I can't believe you let yourself be this weak. Mother and I should have retrieved you years ago. But I suppose we had no choice in the moment."

"I am...Son Goku…" he stood up straight, "I am the defender of this world, and I will not allow you to hurt anyone here again!"

"Wait, hold on," Krillin interjected, "Bulma's right, why _are_ you here for Goku? If he's so weak, why not just let us be?"

"Your pets are barking again, Kakarot."

Goku replied by charging at Raditz, who, with one arm, snatched Goku by the arm and slammed him into the sand, pressing down on his chest with his foot.

"Yeah, you're, like, super fast," Krillin squeaked

"Wait, Raditz, listen," Bulma interjected again, "Why don't you let us go, and call your trip a wash, right? Goku's clearly not a threat to you or your um, Saiyans. You don't want him, or us, right? We'll just bring those people back with the Dragonballs!"

Raditz looked over to Bulma, his eyebrow cocked, "The what?"

"The, erm...Dragon...Balls…"

With Raditz distracted, Goku grabbed Raditz with his other hand, and pulled himself up, trying to flip Raditz over, but the other warrior just floated into the air, before punching Goku in the chest several times, before letting him fall to the ground.

"DADDY!" Gohan rushed out of Kame House to Goku. Raditz let out a gasp, and gawked at the boy as he shook his father to rouse him.

"What is _that?_" Raditz demanded.

"Gohan, come back inside," Roshi commanded, but Gohan wouldn't listen.

"See? Goku even has a son to take care of. There's no reason for him to go out in space...Destroying planets," Bulma gestured to Gohan. Raditz stood over Gohan and Goku; the toddler turned to Raditz, and scowled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt my daddy!" Gohan declared, and he kicked Raditz in the shin. Raditz bent over, and picked Gohan by the collar, before turning back to Bulma.

"This is Kakarot's son?"

"Raditz, please! Don't hurt Gohan!" Goku wheezed.

"Hurt him?" Raditz let out a laugh, "Kakarot, you're pathetic, but you're lucky this world is so interesting. We can _breed_ with the locals, and what are these Dragonballs you mentioned?"

Raditz took the hat off of Gohan and turned on his scouter. The ball was giving off a strange energy it couldn't quite identify, "Is _this_ a Dragonball? What does it do?"

"Why should I tell you?" Bulma demanded.

"Because I'll rip your arms off if you don't. I've already defeated your 'world's mightiest', so who's there to stop me?" Raditz said, pressing on Goku's chest harder with his foot, "Now give me a reason I shouldn't kill you, my worthless brother, and everyone here."

"They...They grant a wish, if you gather all seven! Anything you want!" Bulma blurted, "Please, just stop hurting him!"

Raditz gave one more press, but stepped off Goku's chest.

"This planet just got a _lot_ more interesting," Raditz said, "Congratulations, human, you live to cower another day. What the-"

Raditz's scouter beeped as Gohan growled, before letting out a screech of, "STOP HURTING MY DADDY!"

Before Raditz was able to register the words, Gohan kicked Raditz in the face, sending him back into the sand. Gohan dropped to the ground next to his father, who was beginning to stand up. Goku clutched his son as the boy began to cry again.

Raditz leaned up, a smile on his face as he got back onto his feet. He reached into his mouth, and pulled out a tooth.

"Well, well, I am surprised. I thought my scouter was broken, but this planet just gets weirder and weirder, doesn't it, Kakarot?" Raditz said, walking over to them, "So I'm going to make you a deal, and you don't really have a choice in the matter."

Goku charged at Raditz, but he caught Goku's fist and planted him in the ground with another strike. Raditz stepped on Goku's back and stepped toward Gohan, who was whimpering as he tried to scramble away from Raditz.

"You either bring me the other six Dragonballs, or you become powerful enough to be worth our time. If you don't, I'll destroy another one of your precious cities, and leave you with your pitiful world. But I'll be taking your half-breed son with me when I go. He's got potential," Raditz said, "And I'll be back with the rest of my team if I do. I'm sure Vegeta will be very interested to learn about the Dragonballs himself."

He looked to Bulma and Krillin, "You have one week."

Raditz reached out, grabbing Gohan by the tail and squeezing, before flying off into the distance. Bulma pressed her hand to her mouth as she watch Raditz go; she'd just told him about the Dragonballs, and now he was demanding them. She looked down to Goku, who was wheezing and struggling to stand.

"What are we going to do?" she said aloud.

"We train," a voice called out. They all looked up to see Piccolo, wearing a destroyed Gi, and he landed next to Goku.

"Piccolo...Now's not a great time," Goku said through a laugh.

Piccolo gave a grin, "I know, and I heard. I was keeping my distance, watching what would happen. It went about as well as I expected. I had an encounter with him too."

Piccolo gestured to his Gi, "It didn't go well."

"I guess this means we're putting our thing aside for now, huh?"

"Yeah. If we can't beat him, then he and his team will come back and take over the world. That's _my_ job," Piccolo gestured to himself, "So we've got one week to figure out a plan."

"We're gonna need everybody for this," Krillin said, "Goku didn't stand a _chance_ against him."

"None of us do. Not alone. Which pains me to say, we'll need your help, too," Piccolo said. He gestured to Roshi, "Yours, too, old man."

Roshi leaned on his stick, scowling as he thought, "We may need to consider some extremes here. This won't be like your father, Piccolo. I've got a few more things to teach, and a few more things to learn, but can you pull any of your fathers'?"

"There's some things, but if you're talking about creating children, no way. It puts a huge strain on the body, and I would lose a part of myself. It's what made my father weak. He didn't do things himself. I'm killing this Raditz myself, even if I have to use the rest of you."

"Good. We're going to need that attitude, Piccolo. Goku, can you stand?" Roshi asked.

"Yeah, Master Roshi, I'm good. Just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all," Goku said.

Bulma snapped her fingers, "Wait, I've got it! Here's what we'll do: You all train, and _I'll_ gather the Dragonballs! If you can't handle Raditz, we'll make a wish, and have Shenron handle him for us! I got us into this mess, I can get us out if we need to."

"That sounds like a plan," Krillin nodded.

"All right. We'll train in my domain, it's much more open, and we won't be bothered. And if you need motivation, you can just visit the towns that Raditz destroyed. Be there soon, I have no use for cowards," Piccolo said, taking off into the air.

"Hey, Roshi? I've got one more call to make," Bulma said, "Was your phone destroyed?"

"Hmm? Well, it's only the two holes, it's covered in dust, but yeah. Who you calling?"

"Desperate measures."

XXX

"This has been an awful day," Raditz growled, throwing Gohan on the ground, "Stay here, I'm getting food."

Gohan sat up, rubbing his eyes and looked around him. They were in a field, with large chicken-things wandering around. He sat next to a crater, and at the bottom was a white sphere. He spotted Raditz down the hill, grabbing two giant birds by the neck and flinging them about, snapping their necks.

"You-You killed them! You're so mean! You hurt my daddy! I want my daddy! DADDY!" Gohan demanded, starting to cry and screech.

"I never thought I would miss Brussa punching everything she saw when she was that age," Raditz grumbled, "Stop crying. I'm making food."

Gohan didn't stop. Raditz took a deep breath as he started pulling feathers off the bird.

"Way too long of a day."

Raditz picked up the crying Gohan under one arm, held the birds by the necks in the other, and flew to the nearest building. There was a multi-story blue building, and a larger red building next to it. Raditz saw the blue mobility machine parked next to the blue house. This must be the dwelling.

Raditz found the door, and studied it. There was only a small piece of brass on it. He reached out, and pulled, taking the whole device out of the door.

"They left the key in…" he muttered, and tried pushing. It wasn't designed to open that way, and he studied the key he'd pulled out of the door. Raditz put the key in, and pulled, but the key just slid out of the door.

"I'm too hungry for this," he growled, and kicked the door in. The inhabitants of the house shrieked. Gohan was still crying, so it wasn't that much of a change.

"Stop crying before I kill all of you!" Raditz snarled. He held up Gohan, "Put him somewhere comfortable."

Raditz dropped the chickens, "Cook those."

"Th-That's him! That's the alien!" the farmer from earlier pointed at him. He was lying on a soda with bandages over his chest, and there was a female standing next to him, along with three children in the back of the room.

"Please don't hurt us, Mr. Alien!" the woman pleaded. Raditz shook Gohan.

"Comfortable." He pointed to the chickens, "Cook. Now."

The woman cautiously approached Raditz, and took Gohan, putting him on one of the chairs in the sitting room. Raditz stretched, walked over to the sofa with the injured farmer, and sat, with the farmer pulling himself away from Raditz.

"Oh wow. Okay, so, your planet may be full of pathetic weaklings, but your furniture is unlike _anything_ I have ever sat on," Raditz said, slumping down, "Oh, wow, this is fluffy…"

"How...Do you want me to cook these, Mr. Alien?" the woman asked.

"Cut them up and fry them. Quickly, human, I'm hungry, and so is the boy!" Raditz snarled, and the woman ran to the kitchen with a yelp. Raditz looked over to the injured farmer.

"What, are you just going to sit there gawking at me while your mate does all the work? What kind of worthless partner are you? Go help her!" Raditz gestured to the kitchen, and the farmer scrambled off the sofa and into the back. Raditz put his feet up on the table in the center of the room, and looked over at Gohan, who had stopped crying, and was just scowling at him.

"What?"

"You're a bully. I don't like bullies."

"Everyone's a bully when they have power. That's how the world works. The strong bully, while the weak cower and connive. Your best hope is to find people just as strong as you, and bully together," Raditz said, "Your name was Gohan, right? What kind of name is that?"

"Gohan was my daddy's grandaddy."

"The human that raised him, huh? Sounds worthless if Kakarot ended up as weak as he has. Unfit to raise a Saiyan."

"Grampa Gohan was a great warrior! He didn't hurt anyone!"

"How could he be a great warrior if he didn't hurt anyone?"

"Well, nobody that wasn't mean. He'd have beaten you up!"

Raditz grinned, "Sure he would, kid. Do you know who I am?"

"A bad guy!"

Raditz let out a snort, "You're not wrong. I'm your uncle. That means I'm your father's brother. And up there? Up in space? Your dad and I have a sister, and a mother. You get to meet your grandmother when we go to space. You want to meet your grandmother?"

"Not if she's anything like you!" Gohan insisted. Raditz shook his head.

"Gine's a _lot_ nicer than me. Sometimes, Gohan, we have to be people we don't want to be, just to survive. That's why I've got to make your dad tough. You, too. Wanna be tough, Gohan?"

He nodded, "So I can beat up bullies like you!"

"Well, I want to see what you can do, kid. So we're gonna eat, get some rest, and in the morning, I'm gonna make you tough. Tougher than your dad. Then you can beat up all the bullies you want."

Gohan huffed, "You'll be the first."

"I'll bet," Raditz said.

"Uh, here you go, Mr. Alien, sir," the farmer said, presenting a plate full of meat, "It's not everything, but it should get you started."

"Ugh, did you spice this at all?" Raditz smelled it.

"I'M SORRY MISTER ALIEN I'LL GET SOME PEPPER!" the farmer ran back into the kitchen, before returning with a pepper shaker, "Here you go!"

"Ah, much better," Raditz pulled the top off the shaker and sprinkled the entire shaker onto the pile of chicken, "Here you go, kid, eat up."

Raditz tossed Gohan a slice of the chicken. He caught it, sniffed it, and sneezed.

"Too much pepper…" Gohan muttered.

"Eat it anyway, it's what you've got," Raditz said, his mouth full of chicken. Gohan bit into it, chewing bit by bit, while Radtiz shoved entire sections of the bird into his mouth, though he chewed and savored as he went. The family kept delivering bits of the chicken, spicing and preparing as they went.

"Human," Raditz called out as they served a fourth tray.

"Uh, yes, Mr. Alien, sir?" the farmer stammered.

"Raditz."

"Huh?"

"My name is Raditz."

"Yes, Mr. Raditz?"

"Your animals and spices are succulent and flavorful. Only the cooking by my mother has ever surpassed the meal I have eaten this day. You have proven that your world has worth, and it will be what spares your planet," Raditz told them.

"Uh...Thank you, Mr. Raditz?"

"You're welcome. Now, Gohan-" Raditz looked to the boy, who had curled up and fallen asleep. Raditz smiled. He turned back to the humans.

"We require beds. I expect you to surpass the meal in the morning with breakfast."

"Yes, Mr. Radtiz!" the man and the woman said together. The woman picked up Gohan, and led Raditz into one of the bedrooms.

"Is this to your liking, Mr. Raditz?"

"Excellent. Bring a bed in for the boy, I don't want him out of my sight. Where is your cleansing room?"

"Uh...Bathroom's right here. Kitchen's downstairs in the back."

"Good work," Raditz said, putting Gohan on the bed. A few minutes later, the humans came in with a mattress and some blanks and pillows, laying them on the floor. Raditz put Gohan on the mattress on the floor, dismiss the humans with a wave, and began taking off his boots. This planet was pathetically weak in all its creatures, but it allowed this world to become a paradise. No wonder the people here were so weak, they didn't have to fight for anything. They didn't have to struggle, so the threats they faced were so pathetic. Perhaps he was too rough on Kakarot, all things considered.

Raditz sighed; this world would surely spoil him, as well.

There was a _ka-click_ that Raditz recognized from earlier in the day, and he looked up. The oldest of the children, a boy, was holding a weapon and aiming it at Raditz. Raditz sighed.

"You know, your father and I already did this. But you're just a kid, so I won't do to you what I did to him," Raditz said, "If you use that thing on me, I'll do more than just injure your father. I'll break a new bone in his body, one every hour, and make you watch. Your father will beg me to kill him, and you'll be the only one I'll let do it. Do you want to take that risk, boy? Do you want your father to suffer like that?"

The child's lip quivered, and he ran down the hall with tears in his eyes. Raditz reached over and closed the door, leaned back on the bed, and groaned.

Oh there was _no way_ he was destroying this world, it was much too valuable as it was.


	7. Preparation

"All right, boy. I came here for your dad, but I didn't expect you in the slightest. So I want to see what you're capable of," Raditz said, leading Gohan into the field after breakfast. He turned, and looked down at the boy, "I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

"Wh-What?"

"Hit me, Gohan. Show me what you can do. Hit the bully, come on!" Raditz pounded his chest, "As hard as you can!"

Gohan obliged, running straight at him with a battle cry, and punched Raditz in the boot. It barely gave a 'thunk' when the fist connected. Raditz grunted, pulled back his foot, and kicked Gohan across the field.

"What did I say, boy? I said HIT ME! With EVERYTHING!" Raditz shouted, "You've got power! It runs in your veins, and I need you to SHOW IT TO ME! Come on, boy! HIT ME!"

"B-But I don't-" Gohan cringed, trying to stand.

"What will it take, boy, for you to do something? Is it pain?" Raditz stomped back over to Gohan, and kicked him again, emitting a shriek and a sob from the boy, "Do you know what made me find my strength? Being on the edge of death. Standing on that cliff, only to be pulled back from it."

Raditz put his boot on Gohan, "So, unless you show me your power, I'll beat it into you."

_BANG!_

Raditz felt something impact the side of his head. He looked down, and saw the smushed bullet on the ground. He turned to see the woman holding one of the Earthling weapons. She cocked it, aimed, and fired at him again. The bullet impacted with his armor and smushed.

"You get away from that boy!" she snarled, firing a third time. Raditz caught it this time; the other humans were standing behind her, and they gasped when he caught it. The man scrambled in front of his mate, and fell to his knees.

"Please, don't! Forgive her, she's just worried about the boy! Don't hurt her, do it to me instead, please, Mr. Raditz, sir!"

Raditz held up the bullet, and prepared to flick it at him, when his scouter let off a noise. Raditz managed to make a half-turn when Gohan struck Raditz with a flash of blue light, sending him across the field, leaving him at the end of a streak of dirt.

"I-I did it!" Gohan gasped, eyes wide as he gawked at Raditz, "I beat him! I-"

Raditz stood up, wiping off the dirt. He grinned, stomping over to Gohan.

"There's more than power that runs in your blood, kid."

"Wh-what?"

Raditz loomed over Gohan, "I could kick you around all day, and you still wouldn't stand up for yourself. You don't know _how_. But someone _else?_"

Raditz held up a hand, aimed at the family, and charged a blast. Gohan snarled, and jumped straight at Raditz with both fists in front. Raditz snapped his outstretched arm in, striking Gohan with the charged Ki, planting him in the ground.

"_That_ is what we need, Gohan. It's what _they_ need," Raditz pointed to the humans, "You'll do your grandmother proud. But you do us no good dead."

Raditz peeled Gohan out of the ground, and back on his feet. Gohan wobbled back and forth, woozy from the blow.

"We'll make you a Saiyan warrior yet."

XXX

Krillin looked over all his friends who had joined them in the wasteland. It was hard seeing their faces, the look of worry. They were picking up on Goku's doubt and pensiveness.

"We don't have time to be worried," Krillin declared, "We need a plan."

There was silence from everyone. Krillin clenched his fists.

"Come on, guys, I know Raditz is strong, but there's got to be something we can do. He's got power, but we've got numbers and experience. We can't just stand here worrying about it, we need to train!"

"Yeah. We've gotta fight smart here. We can't overpower him, so what can we do?" Goku stood, his mood shifting from hesitation to determination, "Master Roshi, what do you think?"

The old man stroked his beard a couple of times, "Well, there is the Mafuba. It's tricky and dangerous, but I didn't get the impression that Raditz was the kind of warrior that understands real technique. He's all about power, there's no finesse, and that's where we've got him beat."

"We'll need more than just good technique," a new voice rang out, and the warriors turned to face the voice. Tien and Chiaotzu let out a gasp when they saw Tao Pai Pai walking towards the group, his cybernetics gleaming in the sunlight of the desert they were gathered in.

"What are you doing here?" Tien demanded, bearing his fists at him.

"Answering a peculiar offer," Tao held up a hand to placate, "From your friend Bulma. She told me about your alien problem, and asked to help you fight. She was quite concerned for your well-being. Normally I wouldn't associate myself with you rats, especially traitors like you, Tienshinhan, but when I followed up on the reports about the destroyed towns, I was willing to entertain her offer."

"Bulma called _you_? Talk about desperate measures. Goku, just how strong is this guy?" Yamcha asked.

"I don't think there's any one person on Earth that could beat him," Goku admitted, "Tao, you won't pull any dirty tricks, will you?"

Tao gave a toothy smile, "Not on any of you. I've been humbled from our past encounters, I assure you, and I'll be well compensated for my time and trouble. I know when I'm outclassed, so while I normally work alone, I know none of us can do this alone. If you're opposed to tricks, Goku, I'm afraid we won't stand a chance. Technique and teamwork alone won't be enough."

"You're saying we cheat our way to victory?" Roshi said.

"You are all warriors. You know that winning means surviving. That was a lesson Goku and I learned together, isn't that right, boy?" Tao said, still grinning at Goku.

"All right, that's enough. We're here to train and come up with a plan, not stand around. Are you in or out?" Piccolo demanded to Tao. Tao nodded to Piccolo.

"Hard to enjoy my fortune if the Earth is conquered or destroyed."

"I don't like this, but we need all the help we can get," Tien admitted.

"We've got a week. How are we going to get strong enough to fight Raditz in a week?" Yamcha asked.

"Stronger will only get us a few more seconds of life. It won't win this battle," Tao said, "Like I said, we will need to use every technique and trick we can manage to gain the upper hand."

"Tricks didn't do you so good when we fought," Goku said.

"True. But the fact we're here shows that you understand that strength alone will not be enough, or you would have run straight after him like a fool. We will begin with what techniques we know, and we will see what we can manage from there," Tao said.

"Wait, hold on, who put you in charge? Last I remember you couldn't even stand up to Tien without resorting to weapons!" Krillin demanded.

"And last I remember you couldn't stand up to Tienshinhan at all," Tao retorted, eliciting an irritated grunt from Krillin.

"Enough talk!" Piccolo shouted, holding up his hand, "Training begins now!"

Yamcha and Krillin were knocked aside by the sudden blast, though the other fighters dodged out of the way. Piccolo continued to blast at each target before him, one at a time in rapid succession. Roshi was forced to slip his turtle shell off his back and block a blast, while most of the others simply dodged out of the way. Yamcha, however, was not quick enough, and was sent flying into the air again, only to be caught by Goku.

"Come on Yamcha, we need you!"

"He's too fast!"

"So get faster!" Goku let Yamcha down as he ran from Piccolo's blasts. Yamcha stumbled briefly before pushing himself to follow Goku until finally matching him.

The bombardment was interrupted when Tao charged Piccolo, who turned his attention to Tao. The first attacks were dodged easily enough, but as Piccolo's aim was focused, Tao was unable to keep up, and was tossed aside. Tien attempted to charge in, but Piccolo simply changed targets. Krillin attempted to jump from above, but Piccolo nailed him in the face with a simple rock, and Krillin landed on the ground clutching his head where his nose should have been.

"WOLF FANG-FWAH!" Yamcha tried to get a strike in, but Piccolo shot out his arms and smacked him aside. Goku grabbed the arm and tried pulling, but Piccolo reeled Goku in and smashed Roshi, who wasn't even making a move, with his own student.

"Pathetic!" Piccolo growled, "If that's how we're going to fight we might as well stand in line and let him slaughter us one at a time!"

"He's right," Roshi said, pushing Goku off, "We can't just stand around like a bunch of doofuses challenging him one at a time while everyone else watches. This is a real battle, with the fate of the world at stake. We need to learn to work together."

"Um-" Chiaotzu said, and suddenly all eyes were on him, "Uh!"

"What is it, Chiaotzu?" Tien asked, and Chiaotzu relaxed a bit.

"I just thought...Look at everyone who's here. If we need to find teamwork and play to our strengths...Maybe we should...Start with our schools?" Chiaotzu gestured to the three Turtle School students and their master, "Turtle."

Chiaotzu gestured to himself and to Tao, "Crane. We know our own styles. It's not the best option, but we only have a week."

"Are you saying split up and train separately?" Yamcha asked. Chiaotzu shook his head.

"No, but we should work within our schools and fight to our strengths, and then we figure out how to combine Turtle and Crane together," Chiaotzu said. Roshi nodded.

"I wish we had time to think of something better. But it's the best idea we've got. Come on boys, let's huddle up and figure this out," Roshi gestured to his students. While Krillin and Yamcha went to Master Roshi, Goku remained in place.

"Hey, Goku? What's wrong?" Krillin asked. He followed Goku's gaze, and looked to Piccolo, before he looked back at Goku, "I know that look. You're up to something, Goku."

"Chiaotzu's right, but that leaves out Piccolo," Goku said, "And if what he says is true, Raditz is my brother. So we need bad guys if we're going to train right."

Goku walked up to be face to face with Piccolo.

"Besides, if anyone needs to learn teamwork, it's Piccolo."

Goku turned to the others, "Besides, we're going to need to learn to think like him. Who better than the biggest bad guy we've ever fought, right Piccolo?"

Piccolo gave a disgusted grunt.

"All right, so we've got Team Turtle, Team Crane, and Team Badguys," Yamcha gestured to each group, "Why don't we spent the first two days training with our own teams, the next two days fighting each other, and the last two trying to get our teams to work together?"

"I can't say I'm happy about this," Tien admitted, "But it's the best plan we've got. How about it, Tao? Are you willing to put aside old grudges?"

Tao took a moment to breathe before nodding.

"Let's kill ourselves an alien."


	8. Battle

Raditz stood on the ledge of the cliff overlooking the mountain town. The whole lot of them were ants from up here, easily destroyed with a casual flick of his wrist. He'd have started blasting already, if it were not for the basket of bird that the humans had assembled. Sure, he'd given Kakarot a week, but that didn't mean he had given him _exactly_ seven days.

But this bird was petance enough from the humans; enough for him to keep true to the letter of his word. There was _no way_ he was going to destroy this world, not with delicious food like this just strolling around. This world would make the Saiyans a fortune.

Raditz looked down at Gohan, who flinched in response. Species who could make hybrids with Saiyans were far and few between, and the boy had shown extraordinary potential. The weakness of the average Human would make it difficult to convince Vegeta, but Raditz couldn't help but think about the possibilities of this world beyond simply selling it to Frieza. If they kept it a secret, they could father an entire new generation of Saiyans.

"Please don't hurt anyone, Raditz! We didn't do anything to you!" Gohan begged. It wasn't the first time, and probably wouldn't be the last, either. Raditz shook his head.

"It's eat or be eaten, kid. Now shut up, and stay out of my way, or I'll stuff you in my pod," Raditz warned. His scouter beeped, and he looked up to the sky; Kakarot and the Namekian had arrived, along with a few other humans. They landed opposite Raditz and Gohan; their expression told Raditz all he needed to know about what was about to happen. Raditz scraped the last of the meat off the bird leg with his teeth, and tossed the bone aside. He wiped his hands and mouth with the napkin provided with the basket, before holding up the four-star Dragonball.

"I hope you've got more of these with you, or things are going to get ugly," Raditz said.

"Give me back my son, Raditz, and leave this planet. I'm giving you this chance to leave now, and never come back," Goku said. Raditz took a deep breath.

"You don't get it, do you, Kakarot? You and I, we're some of the last Saiyans. I'm doing this for us. _I_ am your people. Your mother and your sister are out there, waiting to meet you. I'll fight you, but," Raditz pleaded, and shook his head, "Your failure will not go over well."

"Last chance to leave, Raditz," Goku warned, pulling off his training weights and assuming a fighting stance. Most of the humans, even the Namekian did the same thing. Raditz clicked his scouter; Kakarot was the highest at 625, followed by the Namekian at 587. After that was the human with the third eye at 362. It registered a large number of weapons on the cyborg human, while clocking him at 212 overall. Raditz guessed his weapons wouldn't push him much past 250, if they had an effect at all. The shortest human was at 206, while the black-haired human was at 196. The old human barely clocked 150. Absolutely pitiful.

"I'm impressed, Kakarot. You've nearly doubled your power in just a week. See what you can do if you push yourself?" Raditz chuckled.

"We've got the advantage, Raditz. You're alone, and we're a team. You can't win," Goku said.

"That a fact? I gave you a task, Kakarot. And you've failed me. So now suffer the consequences."

Raditz reached down, grabbed Gohan by the hair, and threw him off the cliff.

"GOHAN!" Goku screamed, jumping after him. As a yellow cloud charged down the cliff with him, Raditz charged forward, flying past Piccolo and landing a punch on Tien, who only half-blocked the blow, with Raditz's fist pushing Tien's elbow into his own gut, sending him reeling over and knocking the wind out of him.

Chiaotzu came at Raditz, spinning as he flew, forcing Raditz to catch and hold Chiaotzu at arm's length, giving Krillin the chance to strike him with a series of jabs to the side. Raditz redirected Chiaotzu towards him, forcing Krillin to dodge his own teammate.

"Don't let up!" Roshi commanded, swinging his own punches at Raditz, but forcing Krillin off-balance was all the momentum Raditz needed to block Roshi's attacks. Yamcha tried to disrupt Raditz by flanking him with Roshi, but the Saiyan was more than able to keep up with the two of them.

"Are you two just going to stand there, or are you going to HELP US?" Roshi shouted to Piccolo and Tao. Tao came in at Raditz, swinging with the sword protruding from his arm. Raditz twisted his hips to catch the blade on his armor, which caused Tao's arm to fling back in response.

Piccolo came in through the gap caused by the exchange, forcing Raditz to turn his attention to the Namekian, and, for a moment, put the Saiyan on the defensive as he focused on blocking the blows. The moment Raditz managed to get his footing back in his favor, however, he braced himself, and sent Piccolo across the ground with a well-landed punch.

"Goku! Gohan! Are you okay?" Tien managed to catch his breath and shout down the cliff. The Flying Nimbus floated up, with Goku standing on the cloud and holding stepped onto the cliff, and placed Gohan on Nimbus.

"Gohan? Daddy's going to take care of this, okay?"

"But, dad, I can help!"

"You're way too young, and your mother's been worried sick. Don't worry about us, Gohan. I've got this, okay?"

"Okay. Beat him up, dad!"

"Heh, you've got it, kiddo. Nimbus, take Gohan home to Chi Chi, okay?"

The cloud let out a few happy puffs, and took off into the sky with Gohan looking back at the battlefield.

"I pegged him for a brute, Goku, but he's smarter than he looks," Roshi admitted, "I knew this was going to be tough, but this is a few steps above 'tough.'"

"You don't have to stay," Goku said.

"I didn't say anything about running away," Roshi said, "We're just going to have to fight smart."

"Do you have something in mind?" Tien asked.

"We've got a few techniques, but I think Tao was right about needing tricks," Roshi admitted.

"Chiaotzu and I have one," Krillin grinned to Chiaotzu, who nodded, understanding what Krillin had in mind.

"I'd call off your friends if I were you, Kakarot. This is going to be painful enough for you. It's never easy seeing your squad being rendered pathetic," Raditz taunted. With Raditz distracted, Krillin pelted the area around Raditz with Ki blasts. They were numerous and clumsy, a simple matter for Raditz to deflect or even take straight-on without taking serious damage. It wasn't easy for Krillin to put out that kind of energy so quickly, but hitting Raditz wasn't the point; the air was now full of chunks of rocks which had been flung into the air.

"Like I said! Pathetic!" Raditz called out.

"Everyone! Take your shots now!" Krillin commanded. The rocks froze in midair, causing Raditz to look around, trying to understand what was going on. As the fighters came at him, landing a few blows before letting the next teammate take their shot, Chiaotzu flung the floating rocks at Raditz, preventing him from taking the initiative and retaliating.

"Your team's not bad, Kakarot," Raditz admitted as Goku took his share of swings, "But it won't be enough. Not by a long shot."

Raditz charged Ki in his hand, and swung his arm in an arc, disintegrating the rocks around him, and flinging Goku out of the cloud of dust created by the attack.

"Goku!" Krillin shouted. When he looked back towards where Raditz had been, the Saiyan had already charged out of the cloud, and landed his fist on Krillin's face, sending him into a boulder, which cracked when Krillin impacted it. Krillin slumped over, blood running down his face.

"Krillin! Damn you!" Roshi hissed.

"No! Krillin!" Yamcha charged at Raditz.

"No, Yamcha, don't! Stick together!" Roshi commanded, but Yamcha had already leapt into the air and was coming down upon Raditz.

"WOLF! FANG! FIST!" Yamcha yelled, landing the punch on Raditz's chest, pounding Raditz into a small crater with the impact of fist and Saiyan, "HAH! Not so tough NOW, are you?"

Raditz pushed himself out of the ground, held up his arm, and chuckled.

"Wednesday Barrage."

Yamcha was pelted by a series of straight-on Ki Blasts, one after another.

"Tien! Do something! He's going to kill him!" Chiaotzu shouted. Tien floated up, and held his fingers in a triangle.

"Don't do it, Tien! We can still win this!" Roshi shouted. Raditz looked up to the floating Tien as his Scouter started letting out shrill beeps, ending his torment of Yamcha.

"Two thousand? Where did that human get THAT kind of power?" Raditz wondered.

"Kikoho!" Tien let out the attack, blasting a perfect square into the ground where Raditz was. The blast was more than enough to plant Raditz firmly into the center, and left even the Saiyan warrior gasping for breath.

"Want some more?" Tien shouted, charging another.

"Don't do it, Tien!" Chiaotzu shouted.

Raditz rolled up onto his shoulders, aiming both his hands at Tien, "DOUBLE SUNDAY!"

With a yellow flash and a bang, the explosion sent Tien plummeting out of the sky, and Raditz kicked out his legs to get back on his feet.

"I seriously underestimated you humans," he admitted, "I don't know how you're hiding your power levels, but I haven't seen anything like this."

Raditz stood over Tien, and bumped him with his foot. Tien let out a groan.

"A lot tougher than you seem, too. That shouldn't have left a body, much less left you alive. Still, he was the toughest of your humans, Kakarot. I haven't even seen what you can _really _do. Why don't you stop playing around, or I'll kill your friend right now?" Raditz held an open palm straight at Tien's head.

Goku clenched his fists and faced down Raditz, grinding his teeth.

"He's baiting you, Goku," Roshi warned.

"But he's not bluffing," Goku said.

"Then we fight him together, boy. Piccolo, help Goku. Tao, Chiaotzu, support them from afar. I'll get the injured out of here," Roshi instructed.

"Come and try it, old man," Raditz laughed. Goku and Piccolo charged straight in at Raditz, who braced himself, when the pair of them seemed to shuffle and then multiply, using the After-Image technique to confuse him. Raditz swung, cleanly missing and giving Goku the chance to land a few blows. Raditz brought his elbow down, bouncing Goku off the ground.

"DODON RAY!" Tao and Chiaotzu fired the concentrated beams at Raditz, scorching his armor and sending him back while Piccolo attempted to follow through on Goku's attacks. Raditz grabbed Piccolo by the antennae, and slammed him against Goku, taking the Dodon Rays to his armor, which was starting to crack under the barrage, after having been blasted by the Kikono. Raditz continue to beat Goku with Piccolo until the antenna itself broke off.

Roshi managed to use the distraction to pull Tien away from Raditz and hidden behind a tree. As he started to run for Krillin, Raditz turned to him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you!" Raditz charged an attack to take him out. Roshi let out a yelp, and started to run for cover, when Raditz let out a gasp and dropped the blast.

Raditz looked over his shoulder, glaring at Mercenary Tao, who had managed to stab between the cracks of Raditz's armor. Tao pulled his arm back, revealing that he had used a syringe, rather than his sword.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I don't see any other choice. You'll feel it quickly. It was meant for your brother, but I suppose you'll do just fine," Tao said, an evil grin on his face.

"What stupid trick are you try-uh-what…" Raditz started to wobble as he stepped towards Tao, who took a few steps back. Tao pulled the rest of the syringe out of his arm, and detached his hand. The syringe was empty, aside from a few drops from the end of the long, metal needle. Tao pointed his arm at Raditz and blasted him with a Ki blast.

"You've poisoned me!" Raditz growled, taking the blast straight in the chest. His cracking armor finally gave way, leaving a hole that exposed Raditz's chest.

"What?! No! That should have put you down!" Tao protested as Raditz reached out. With a single swift motion, Raditz ripped off Tao's arm, and began beating him with it, denting his metal skull.

Raditz only stopped when his scouter beeped a warning to him once again, and he turned to face Roshi, whose power had jumped from 150 to nearly a thousand, and had increased in mass. He was starting to gather blue power in his hands by his hip.

"Ka! Me! Ha! Me! HA!" Roshi let out the wave as Raditz started to charge straight at him, sending him flying back. Raditz held out his hands to absorb the attack, though, leaving his hand smoking and only a bit of ground lost.

"If you're done, let's-" Raditz began to talk, but his scouter let out yet another warning. This time, Goku and the Namekian's power were rising similarly. Goku's had gone from 625 to well over 2,000, and the Namekian's was rising past Raditz's own 3,000.

"Where-Where did you get all this power? This is impossible! KAKAROT! I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOUR TRICKS!" Raditz bellowed, charging his own attack.

"Kamehame-HA!" Goku let out his own wave. Raditz waited for the last moment as he charged his counter-attack.

"THURSDAY CHARGE!" Raditz fired back just as the Kamehameha was about to strike him. The ensuing struggle between them, along with the poison jabbed into him by Mercenary Tao, was starting to take Raditz's energy. Despite all of it, Raditz was able to overcome his brother's Kamehameha, and send Goku plummeting.

"Not...Not bad, Kakarot," Raditz gulped for air, sweat pouring down his body, "It's still not enough. But not bad."

Raditz turned to the Namekian, and got a better read from his Scouter; all the power was concentrated in the alien's fingertips.

"You've lost," Raditz declared, "You'd better fire that now, because if it doesn't finish me, I'm going to rip and tear you to pieces, Namekian."

"Goku! Now!" Piccolo ordered, and to Raditz's surprise, Goku leaped from the ground, and tucked his arms under Raditz, and pulled back.

"What? Kakarot! Get off me! What are you doing! Let GO!" Raditz wiggled to try and get out, but he was losing strength faster than he expected.

"Piccolo! Do it now!" Goku shouted.

"Makankosappo!" Piccolo fired the Special Beam Cannon. Raditz gathered power in his mouth, but he had so little power left, and the attack was far too quick, especially with Goku holding him in place.

The attack gave a surge of heat in his stomach...And then cold. He hit the ground, unable to move his limbs except his head. Goku landed on the ground next to him, a similar hole in his stomach.

"Kakarot...No…It wasn't...Supposed to be like this..."

Piccolo stood over Raditz, and wiped the blood away from his eyes, "Don't worry. His friends will bring him back with the Dragonballs. We'll see him again. You, however, won't be so lucky."

"You...Think so, Namekian? You're...a fool. My Scouter...Has been broadcasting...My mother...She knows...you've killed us. Her wrath...Will not...Be sated…Prepare...To...Die."

"Thanks for the warning. We'll deal with her the same way we dealt with you," Piccolo scoffed.

Master Roshi was kneeling over Goku, "I'm so sorry, Goku. I couldn't save you...We tried...We fought as a team, but we couldn't save you…"

"It's okay, Master Roshi. We did our best. We won," Goku coughed, "The world's safe. Just...Do me a favor...Train Gohan...Please...There's more like Raditz...He needs...To be ready…"

"I will, Goku. I promise you, I'll train your boy, he'll make you proud," Roshi promised, cradling Goku's head, "You've made me proud, Goku."

"G-Goku?" Krillin had managed to get to his feet, "Goku!"

He rushed to his friend's side, but Roshi was already looking away, tears in his eyes.

The sons of Bardock had passed.

Light-years away, the wrath of their mother was declared with a blood-curdling scream.

XXX

Author Notes: Here's some Power Level stuff just for fun.

Vegeta: 18,000

Nappa: 4,000

Gine: 3,500

Raditz

3,000 after training with Nappa

1,300 after being poisoned by Tao

Brussa: 2,700

Meys: 2,300

Shive: 2,100

Goku

416 when Raditz arrives

625 after the week of training

2,600 with the Kamehameha

Piccolo

408 when Raditz arrives

587 after the week of training

3,200 when firing the Special Beam Cannon

Roshi

150 when relaxed after training

450 when in Bulk Form

1,200 when firing Kamehameha

Krillin

206 when Raditz arrives

252 after training

Tien Shinhan

250 when Raditz arrives

362 after training

Yamcha

177 when Raditz arrives

216 after training

I've also received some questions about Shive and Meys. They're OC's, but they do appear in Dragonball Super: Broly as generic Saiyans that were accompanying Vegeta and co. when they received word about the destruction of their homeworld.

I imagined they are lower-class warriors, and are so dismissed by Vegeta and Nappa, and ended up getting killed before the events of DBZ. However, their fates changed in this fic due to Gine. For example, in Chapter 2, Gine intervened when Shive was beaten by the Frieza Force soldiers, where, originally, that was the scene where he was killed. Meys was killed on Gellow in Chapter 3, which Raditz barely survived due to cowardice, originally. Again, Gine's presence saved them, and Gine's success drove them to train.

They'll continue to play a role in the fic, provided I remember they exist.


	9. Aftermath

"RADITZ! RADITZ, NO!" Brussa screamed, falling to her knees at the sound of her brother's last breath. The scouter reported his flatlining vitals.

"Brussa, we-" Meys reached out, but Brussa swatted his hand.

"Get away from me!" Brussa stumbled forward onto her feet, "I'm going to _kill_ them! _All of them!_"

"Wait, Brussa! If Raditz couldn't beat them, you don't stand a chance!" Meys pleaded, but Brussa was already flying off.

"Go with her," Shive said, "I can handle this planet. Keep her from doing something too stupid, I'll...I don't know, I'll tell Vegeta something."

"By _yourself?_ Are you sure?" Meys asked, "We're a team. We should stay together."

Shive gestured to the destruction around them, "We've already hit the core of their infrastructure. There's not much left to do to wipe out this planet. I'll call in help if I need it. I'll only be a couple days behind you, okay? Go help Brussa."

"Saving all the fun for yourself, more like," Meys chuckled, "Stay in contact."

"Absolutely. Keep her safe."

Shive watched Meys fly after Brussa. Once he was out of sight, he removed his scouter, and flipped some settings on it so that Vegeta couldn't listen in. He connected to a secure line.

"I know where and when Vegeta is going to be. If you're still willing to make that offer, I'm willing to take it."

XXX

Chi Chi stared at the wall, a dreadful ringing in her ears, and nothing in her mind. Dazed from the news, she couldn't do anything but strike Gohan's hair.

"Chi Chi? Honey?" she felt her father's warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him, and then to Roshi.

"You were there?"

"Right in the middle of it. If I could have taken his place, Chi Chi, I would have. Goku died a hero. He saved us all," Roshi confirmed.

"From the monster that took my Gohan."

"Mm hmm. I wanted to tell you in person...I know how hard this is...The boy, he...He didn't even hesitate to do what was needed. I wish we'd had more time to prepare, to get stronger, Goku could have taken him, but a week wasn't enough time…"

"How much time? How much time would it have taken for Goku to have been ready?" she asked. Roshi took a big swallow.

"Uh...I don't know. We did everything we could, but it was only a week. And...There's more coming...His mother...Raditz said that his mother would be furious. I'm afraid this isn't over, but Goku bought us time."

Chi Chi nodded, "Okay. I'll be ready."

The room was silent for a moment.

"What?" Roshi and Ox King said at the same time. Chi Chi looked up.

"_Nobody_ is going to take my baby away from me again. When Goku's mother gets here, I'm going to _give her a piece of my mind!_" Chi Chi declared, standing, "Master Roshi, I'm going to train! I don't care how many Saiyans show up, _nobody_ hurts my Gohan!"

She picked up Gohan and hugged him closely, "Besides, if Goku's not going to be here...Someone has to protect him."

"Well, now that you mention that, Chi Chi...Goku _did_ ask me to train your boy, so he'd be ready."

"He _WHAT?!"_

Roshi held up his hands, "S-So this works out great! We can all train together! The best teacher is teaching, you know? You, me, everyone else, we'll all teach the boy while training, and we'll make sure he stays on top of his studies, too!"

Chi Chi took a deep breath, "Damn that Goku...Leaving us when I need him the most…"

"You've still got friends. We'll go through this together, Chi Chi. We're all headed to the lookout next week. Meet us at Capsule Corp, if you can."

"I'll be there, Master Roshi."

"And Gohan? You look after your mother until then, okay?"

"Okay Master Roshi!" Gohan nodded. Roshi ruffled his hair. He took his coat and hat, and stepped out of the house. He took a deep breath; almost as hard as the real thing.

"Master Roshi?" Ox King stepped out of the door, holding a pair of beer bottles.

"Hmm? Oh, hello."

"It's been a long time since we got the chance to just talk," Ox King popped the cap off one, and offered it to Roshi, who accepted the drink.

"I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Goku was something special. I'm gonna miss him. I don't think Chi Chi is going to be the same…" Ox King admitted, opening his own beer.

"We might not have to," Roshi said, pulling out a small package from his pocket, "Remember, we still have the Dragonballs."

Roshi opened the box, revealing the four-star ball. Ox King gawked for a moment, and smiled.

"Gohan's still looking after us, after all this time, huh? I miss him more and more every day."

"You and me, both. But look at what he's left for us, eh?"

Ox King smiled and sipped his beer, "I wish I'd done more with your training, Master Roshi."

"You went on to lead a good life. Sure, you needed a little help along the way. But those were different times, even without space warriors threatening our world. You've got a wonderful family. As your teacher, I'd say you've done an _excellent_ job with your training. You keep taking care of them, hear? That's my final lesson to you, I think."

Ox King smiled, and nodded, "Of course, Master Roshi."

XXX

"Tao? Can you hear me?" Bulma flashed the light in front of Tao's face. The monitor that mirrored Tao's ocular input registered that they were, indeed, following the light she was shining.

"I seem to be," Tao said, "Though I'm having trouble moving."

"Well, that's because I've got most of your systems shut down. You took heavy damage in the fight, it was pretty touch-and-go to get you out of that alive. I'm surprised you didn't suffer actual brain damage. You're very lucky."

"Given the fact that we're alive, I assume we won?" Tao asked. Bulma paused, and nodded.

"We did. Your poison definitely helped. But...Goku...He…"

Tao didn't respond as Bulma turned away to cry. He had to admit, he respected the man, now more than ever. From what he'd been told, Raditz was Goku's brother, but he stood against him despite being the only family he had. That took a lot of strength; Tao would kill Shen at the mere request, but few could harden their heart to that prospect.

"In the end, he surpassed all of us. The Earth is weaker for his loss. I regret I could only do what I could."

Bulma's crying halted, and she stood straight without looking at Tao, "Do you mean that?"

"Does it matter if I mean it? It's what you need to hear."

Bulma turned to him, not caring about her running makeup, "Do you mean it? Regretting you could only do what you could?"

"What do I have if our world is destroyed? Even if I managed to go to space, what would I have? No reputation, no money, no future."

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear," Bulma said, and she pulled up a briefcase, "Your payment for fighting Raditz is in here. But there's a lot more where that came from."

"I'm listening."

"You barely managed to hurt Raditz on your own. I've looked at your systems, and I think there's a lot more we can do. There's more like Raditz on the way. We're going to need every fighter we've got. You promise to fight them, and I'll not just rebuild you, but I'll make you the deadliest machine on the planet. We got a deal?"

Tao grinned, thinking, _If only you knew._

"You have a deal, girl."

XXX

The two Namekians stared off with one another on the Lookout. They had no reason to speak with one another; they each knew what the other was thinking. Mr. Popo remained at a distance from Kami and Piccolo, still terrified of the being and his history.

"The world's so much smaller without Goku to hate, isn't it, Piccolo?" Kami asked.

"Goku was the last obstacle in my path. Now there's nothing stopping me from taking over this world," Piccolo insisted.

"No, there isn't, is there? None of Goku's friends can possibly hope to match you. This world is yours, if you want it - for a time, anyway."

"You mean the Saiyan's mother."

"No," Kami shook his head, "Not just her. There's more than just one headed this way. Two are already headed here, and they'll arrive in a short while. If you want to take over the world, you have less than four months to do it before they get here, and take this planet from you for killing their comrade. Neither are as strong as Raditz was, but not by much. And then, within a year, that is when Raditz's mother will arrive, and she's accompanied by two Saiyans even more powerful. One is more powerful than all the Saiyans put together."

Piccolo did not like that response, but said nothing. He and Kami shared all their thoughts; he knew Kami was telling the truth, and knew where he had gotten that information.

"So I'll get stronger. I'll put them down, and end their entire race!"

Kami nodded, "You can try. And you might have to. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you don't have to do it alone-You shouldn't do it alone."

"You mean the fools Goku brought with him. They were worthless. They got in each other's way. If it had just been me and Goku, we could have-"

"You, me, and Goku, and everyone else, would all be dead if they hadn't gotten involved. Face it, Piccolo. You need them, if only to train with. Let them help. You're our best chance. There's little I would ever ask of you, but I ask _this._ Our times really are that desperate."

Piccolo scoffed, "We both know that I'm not your Plan 'A'. Don't even try hiding that from me."

Kami nodded, "It's true. I've sent Goku to train with King Kai in the Otherworld. If we're lucky, he'll be powerful enough to take on the Saiyans when he returns. But in the meantime, I believe we can find a way to defeat the Saiyans without him. I have to believe that, because we won't have Goku back in time to deal with the first wave.

"I know you're powerful, I know you've got your pride, Piccolo, but we need you here. Train with the others. You'll earn their respect, and I think they'll surprise even you with what they're capable of. I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't truly believe this. It's not a shame to admit that this is beyond you, at least right now."

"After that, what happens? What would stop me from defeating Goku and taking over the planet?"

Kami's grip on his staff tightened, "You heard what the Saiyan called you. He knew something about us. That word-Namekian. It means something. To both of us."

Piccolo fought the urge to deny it, but his curiosity was definitely piqued, "There may be a deeper truth about us. Beyond the explanation of Demon and Deity. What if we don't like the answer?"

"Then we live on, all the wiser for it regardless. The truth can only make us stronger. When the Saiyans are dealt with, we can find out more. But we have to worry about this world _first, _before we explore any others."

"Fine. When do the fools arrive?"

Kami smiled, "They're already on their way."

XXX

Raditz reached out, looking at his hands. He was supposed to be a cloud, his body taken by that red man with the desk, like all the other spirits. And yet here he was, with his arms, legs, torso, tail, hair...Even his armor was still there. He reached down to his abdomen; no hole.

"Where am I?" Raditz looked around what seemed to be a poorly lit castle. There were columns that seemed to stretch on forever, leading up to a red and blue throne, "Is there anyone here?"

"Just you and I, Saiyan," a voice called out. A red-skinned man with horns and long, pointed ears stepped out from behind the throne, and sat upon it. Raditz looked up at the man, and blinked.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Am I supposed to be impressed?" Raditz asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, but I won't hold that against you. You're the Saiyan warrior, Raditz, one of the last of your kind. Your list of atrocities is long, and the oceans of my realm are quite filled with the blood of your victims. There aren't many down here that can match your accomplishments. You and your squad have made enough of a splash for me to notice," the man chuckled, reading from a piece of parchment.

"Well I'm glad I could entertain you. Now tell me what you want, or I'll be taking my leave," Raditz insisted.

"You can certainly try, but nobody leaves my realm without my permission. I'm afraid you'd be lost for eternity until I decided to pluck you out. You aren't going anywhere, Raditz," they said.

"Well then you can stop wasting time for us both, and tell me who you are and what you want!"

The throned man looked from the parchment to Raditz, "Do you know what happens to souls like yours when they die, Raditz? It isn't pretty. There's a hell for each world, and normally they get tormented by the Angels for all eternity. The things you've done, you're bound for some particularly harsh treatment. But once in a while, before someone like you dies, I get the chance to make a claim on their soul. Then they get to become whatever I decide."

"So you've saved me from Earth's hell? Why? How? I've never met you before."

"A little bit of tit-for-tat, really. Trades here and there, calling in favors. I've invested quite a lot just to be able to speak with you, much less get your body back. But you're a rare opportunity, Raditz, and I'm going to make you an offer."

Radtiz crossed his arms, "I'm not interested in switching tyrants. I'm dead, there's no reason for me to do your bidding."

"Of course not. But all I ask is that you listen. If you refuse, I'll just send you back to Hell, where you'll be a tormented little cloud for the rest of time, if that's what you'd prefer."

"Fine."

"I'm working on a little something, and it all depends on that world you died on, Earth. For a long time, it hasn't had what I need. But your arrival, and your potential, has changed that. You see, Earth has been lacking in quality warriors for a very long time, but your battle with your brother has caught my attention. Your sister is already on her way to avenge you, and your mother and the Prince won't be far behind."

Raditz winced at the mention of his family.

"And by the time your mother arrives, your brother will already be returned to life, far more powerful than when you fought him."

"What?"

The man grinned, "Yes, your brother has some dedicated friends. You remember their talk of the Dragonballs? They're real, and they work. They're going to bring back Kakarot. You can imagine the devastation on your team that conflict will bring."

"No...I can't let them destroy each other! It would be the end of the Saiyans! Of my family!"

"And that would be a tragedy, wouldn't it? You need to protect the Saiyans, and I ended strong warriors on Earth. So, I think we can come to an arrangement, Raditz. Earth is a perfect world for the Saiyan race to rebuild itself-lots of life, a compatible cousin species to repopulate with, and it's relatively obscure. The Saiyans have more potential than most, don't think I haven't noticed," the man said, waving the parchment.

"Why do you need strong warriors on Earth?"

"Like I said, I'm working on something. When the time comes, the Saiyans can again be conquerors under a power that will make Frieza look like a bug. All the galaxies will be ripe for the taking once we're ready. But, for now, all you have to do is train. We'll make sure that, when your brother is brought back, his friends will bring you, as well. Work with your brother, and make sure that none of the Saiyans are killed. Make sure they stay on Earth, and continue to get stronger. When you're ready, you'll surpass and destroy Frieza. When that time comes, we'll move forward with our plan, and the Galaxies, even the Other World itself, will be ours."

"I won't make deals with someone I don't even know the name of."

"You may call me Dabura. But it's imperative that you keep the name to yourself."

"What is this project?"

"It might not even come to fruition during your lifetime, Raditz. Maybe your grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, will reap the benefits of my plans. And if you choose not to trust me, you're still free to make whatever preparations you choose before then. All I'm asking is that you train, keep your people safe on Earth, and keep our deal a secret. 'Be fruitful, and multiply.' Nothing you wouldn't do already. Eat, fight, drink, and be merry."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Dabura scowled, "Getting the answer would cost you far more than what I'm offering you now, Raditz. Be happy I've noticed you at all. Don't make me destroy you."

A shiver went down Raditz's back at the threat; he could _feel_ the power of this entity when growled at him in a way he didn't understand.

"All I have to do is make sure the Saiyans don't die?"

"And stay on Earth, yes."

"And will _you_ train me?"

Dabura grinned, "At first, while your brother runs Snake Way. Then, I'll make sure you join him. It's important that you work together, even if it means fighting your own squad. When we're done here, you'll go to King Kai. Plead with him that you want the chance to redeem, and find a way for the Saiyans to stay on Earth. Don't be afraid to remind him of the threat that is Frieza. But we can go over that later."

Raditz took a deep breath, "All right, Dabura."

The Demon King grinned.

"Good. All I need is for you to sign this, and we can get started."

XXX

_Author's Note: Before anyone asks how Dabura noticed Raditz, keep in mind the scale of what the Saiyans could accomplish if there were more of them, working more closely together. He's much more powerful here than in the original, meaning he's killed a lot more people, enough for Dabura to notice him._


	10. End of Snake Way

"I don't know how you got here, but you're headed straight back to Hell where you belong!" declared the largest of a group of Ogres. Raditz was staring up at the planet above them. Raditz's training with Dabura was complete, and now he was to join Kakarot to train under this King Kai. It would be a hard sell, but Raditz just so happened to have most of the truth on his side. Explaining his body would be the hardest.

"I'm exactly where I need to be," Raditz said.

"You're not getting to King Kai's," the Ogres stepped towards him. Raditz faced them, and clenched his fists.

"I imagine it's a long way down. You may want to brace yourself," Raditz warned, and charged the biggest. To his surprise, the Ogre caught Raditz's charge, barely budging. Raditz started to jab him in the side, which did force the Ogre to try and reel back from Raditz, which allowed the Saiyan to push the Ogre up and over. Raditz held the Ogre over his head, and with a heave, tossed the Ogre over the edge of Snake Way.

"GET HIM!" the other Ogres shouted, and they rushed Raditz. Just as they did, Raditz saw his brother running towards them on Snake Way.

_Damn! He'll only have questions if he sees me fighting these guys! I'll have to hide my true power...Last time I fought King Yemma, he trounced me…_

"Kakarot! Help!"

"Raditz? What are you doing here?" Goku wondered, and he watched for a few moments while the Ogres started to 'beat down' Raditz.

"Okay, that's enough, he's down, leave him alone!" Goku shouted. The Ogres started to lift him up to try and throw him off the side.

"Don't let them send me back! I don't want to go back, please, Kakarot! Help me!" Raditz pleaded. Goku charged forward, punching out one of the Ogres off the side. Raditz slipped, and grabbed the side of Snake Way while Goku got into the middle of the mob and started fighting them. Individually, they weren't much of a challenge, but together, they were enough to give Goku some trouble.

Deciding it wasn't worth risking Goku being sent over the edge, Raditz pulled himself up, and joined his brother in fighting the Ogres. Together, they punted them off one by one, until there was one last Ogre, who decided safety was the better part of valor, and began running down Snake Way away from the Saiyans.

"Whew! That was a close one! Thank you for saving me, Kakarot!" Raditz said.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to stop me from getting to King Kai's place?" Goku demanded, sliding into a fighting stance. Raditz held up his hands to placate him.

"No, of course not, Kakarot! I'm here to talk to King Kai, actually. I heard about him in Hell, and that he can contact the mortal world. I have to warn Earth!" Raditz said.

"Warn Earth? You tried to take it over!"

"I tried to take the Dragonballs, and _you_. I planned on _sparing_ the Earth. No, Kakarot, your friends are in danger! I have to warn them! I had hoped King Kai would help me. I didn't expect to see you at all!" Raditz said. Dabura had told Raditz to come up with a story to convince King Kai and Goku, but he hadn't thought of one; now, though, it was starting to come together.

"Warn them about what?"

"This is what I _tried_ to tell you on Earth! Kakarot, we have family. Our mother is still alive, and she is paired with General Nappa, a powerful warrior of our people. Together, we all serve Prince Vegeta, the last member of our Royal line. Our mother and Nappa had a daughter, our half-sister, Brussa. I'm sure that our mother is on her way now, but she won't arrive for almost seven months. But Brussa, she should be nearly to Earth by now, and she'll be _furious_ that we've been killed. I don't know what your squad is doing, but they have to be ready for her; she's almost as powerful as I am. If they're caught off-guard, she could cause a lot of damage to your world. Even if your friends do overpower her, I don't want her to get hurt, either. Kakarot, she's our sister. Please, will you help me talk to King Kai?"

"Woah, my mother _and_ my sister? That's wild...This better not be a trick, Raditz!"

"No tricks, Kakarot! I just want to save our sister, and your friends, if I can. It wasn't until I arrived on earth that I started to appreciate its beauty and its food. Please, I want the chance to change!"

"All right. We'll see what King Kai says, then. Where...Where is it?"

Raditz pointed up, "I think that's it up there. Maybe we should jump?"

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Goku let out a laugh and jumped towards the little planet.

"Hey, no fair!" Raditz jumped after him. Goku stuck his tongue out at Raditz on the way towards the little planet, only to let out a yelp as it pulled him in faster and faster, until he landed hard enough on the surface to leave a dent. Raditz, however, landed softly and gracefully on the planet.

"Are you okay, Kakarot? Why are you down there?" Raditz asked.

"It's...So heavy...Why aren't you struggling?" Goku said. Raditz dhrugged.

"It's not that heavy, it's just like Planet Vegeta. I grew up with this kind of gravity. Kind of comfortable, actually. I can see why Earth left you so weak, Kakarot, with its light gravity."

"It's so...Intense…" Goku managed to get to his knees, but fell back down.

"Come on, Kakarot! This is your homeworld's gravity! Don't be a weakling, stand up already! We're on the planet of King Kai! You can do this!"

Goku managed to get to his feet, and started taking steps, "I can...I can do this! It's not...Too...Far! Wait...Is that? I knew it, food!"

Goku changed direction from walking towards the house towards the fruit tree. Raditz let out a snort, and followed his brother to the tree.

"This is part of your training, it must be! Go on, get us the fruit, Kakarot! I'm hungry, too!"

"I've got this!" Goku declared, trying to climb the tree.

"Ka-ka-rot! Ka-ka-rot!" Raditz chanted as Goku climbed the tree's trunk. Egged on by his brother, Goku managed to get to the lowest branches, and used them to hoist himself up.

"Ooh-ooh-ah! Oo-ooh-ah!" a monkey chanted along with Raditz. Raditz stared at the monkey.

"What...What is that…"

"Hey, Raditz, I made it! Heads up! Whoops!" Goku called down. He pulled off one of the apples, and dropped it; the apple hit the ground hard enough to leave a hole.

"Kakarot! Watch it!" snarled Raditz, "Drop another one, I'm hungry! I'll catch it this time!"

"Okay, Raditz! Here you go!" Goku pulled another, and this time Raditz caught the apple, and took a bite.

"Kakarot, throw a third one! There's some kind of strange creature down here, I think it's hungry, too."

"What kind of creature?" Goku peeked through the branches, "Oh, hello! It's a monkey!"

"Oh. Right. Because of the tail, and the fur. Right. Well, I think it's hungry."

"Okay! I'll drop another one!" Goku pulled one off, "Jeez these are heavy!"

"Stop being a weakling, Kakarot!" Raditz sneered, catching the apple, and handing it to the money. The monkeys accepted the fruit, and started nibbling on the apple, before letting out some happy cheers and dancing around.

"Do you think _that's_ King Kai?" Goku asked.

"No. This planet isn't very big, he has to be around here somewhere. Hello? King Kai? Is there anybody here?" Raditz called out, taking a bite of the apple. Goku started to climb out of the tree, but lost his balance, landing on the ground, putting another ditch in the yard. Raditz turned, looked at him, and then went back to calling for King Kai.

"You don't have to shout, I'm right here!" a nasally voice called out. A plump, blue man with antennae waddled out from behind the house, "Who are you, and what are you doing on my planet?"

"Oh! Are you...Ugh, I'm so heavy! Are you King Kai?" Goku asked, struggling to stand and rubbing his head. He picked up the apple he'd grabbed

"Yup, that's me! Now, who are you two?" King Kai asked.

"Well, my name is Goku. I'm from Earth. Our guardian, Kami, sent me to train under you!"

"Oh. And who are you?"

"Me? Oh, um, I'm Raditz, I'm his older brother. I came to ask for your help, for a, uh, related matter," Raditz said.

"All right, well...Let's start, then. Why don't oysters donate to charity?"

Raditz and Goku stared at him.

"Go on! Why don't oysters donate to charity?"

"Because...They're...Making their own pearls?" Raditz asked. King Kai stared at him.

"Because they're _shellfish,_" King Kai said. Raditz and Goku exchanged glances. King Kai let out a frustrated huff.

"All right, let's try a different one. What's a fly without wings?"

"Um...A fall?" Goku asked.

"A WALK! Jeez, humor doesn't run in your family, does it?" King Kai growled.

"Oh, I know one our father told me! A Saiyan walked into a bar. When he came to, he bent it in half to make it tender!" Raditz shouted, pointing at King Kai.

King Kai stared at Raditz, his mouth agape. Raditz held still, watching for King Kai's reaction.

"A saiyan...Walks into...A...Bar…" King Kai stammered.

Raditz let out a slight whimper.

"Bar...Tender…"

The sons of Bardock remained frozen in place.

"BARTENDER! OH WOW THAT'S A GOOD ONE! BAH-HAHAHAHA!" King Kai clutched at his gut, bent over as he let out a laugh. Raditz let out a sigh of relief.

"All right!" King Kai suddenly stopped his laughing, and the both of them stood up straight, "Now your turn. Goku, was it? Tell me a joke. Make me a laugh, and you're in."

"A joke? Come on, I'm not a comedian! Oh, man…"

"Don't stay so tense, you'll ruin the delivery! Come on, if you can't tell me one joke you might as well give up and go home!" King Kai taunted while Goku racked his brain for a joke.

"Why...Did the chicken...CROSS THE ROAD?"

King Kai let out a gasp, "To...Get to the other side?"

Goku smiled, but steeled himself; he wasn't laughing yet, "IT WAS TOO FAR TO FLY!"

King Kai held his hands to his mouth.

"Yes, Kakarot! You have him on the ropes! Give him another!" Raditz called out.

"What's the difference between a jeweler and a jailer? A jeweler sells watches, and a jailer watches cells!"

King Kai gasped again, rolled over onto the ground, pounding at it.

"Hah! Got it! You laughed, King Kai!" Goku called out, "Somebody stop me! Hey, King Kai, don't blow a gasket on me, okay?"

"All right, all right, you're in! When I'm through with the two of you, you'll be the princes of puns! How does that grab you?" King Kai told them.

"Puns? We're not here for puns! We're here for punches!" Raditz shouted.

King Kai started to laugh again.

"That's not funny! We're here for serious business!" Raditz insisted.

"All right, you should have led with that!" King Kai said, moving into a martial arts stance, "Show me what you've got! Goku, you first! Don't hold back, I'm stronger than I look!"

Goku got into his own fighting stance, but something about it seemed to slack.

"What's wrong?" King Kai asked.

"It's this gravity! I just can't seem to get used to it!" Goku admitted.

"Oh, right, you said you were from Earth, didn't you? That explains it. My planet may look small, but its gravity is ten times as strong as Earth's," King Kai explained.

"It feels normal to me," Raditz said, "But I'm from Planet Vegeta. It is normal."

"Mm-hmm, that sounds about right. Why don't you jump, to test just how far you can?" King Kai instructed. Goku nodded, and leapt into the air, before falling down into another crater. Raditz watched King Kai and the contemplative expression he had.

_What an oddball. What's going through his mind?_

"So," King Kai stood over Goku, who pushed himself back to his feet, "How long do you plan on staying here?"

"Well, as long as I can," Goku said, "It's like this: There's a bunch of people, and they're real powerful and real mad. They're called Saiyans, and they're going to hurt a lot of people, including my family and friends!"

Raditz nodded, "They're our family, too. I want to make sure that nobody gets hurt when they do arrive, I think there's a way to stop them from hurting each other!"

"Oh, yeah, Saiyans can be a real bad bunch, that's for sure. All right, let's find the exact day that they're going to arrive on planet Earth," King Kai said, his antennae twitching forward. King Kai started to hum and haw as he scanned the galaxy, "Let's see, where are they...Ah, yes, there they are. Three of them. I'm afraid they don't come any stronger than them. Alright. According to my calculations, they should arrive on Earth in approximately eighty-eight days."

"What? Eighty-eight days? No!" Raditz balked, "That means Brussa is already there! King Kai, I have to contact her and make sure she's okay!"

"We can make that happen, but there's a lot to consider here. Goku, these three Saiyan are even stronger than I am, and one of them, your mother, is particularly enraged at your death. So you're not only going to have to get to my level, you're going to have to surpass me. But this is the palace to do it, training on my planet is the equivalent of training for several thousand years on Earth, okay?" King Kai explained.

"Even stronger than you? Wow…" Goku let out a whistle.

"More powerful than Nappa in such a short amount of time? Well, if you say so, King Kai, we're ready!" Raditz insisted. King Kai gave him a grim look.

"I'll agree to train Goku, but you're another matter entirely, Raditz," he said.

"What? But I want to get stronger, too!" Raditz said.

"And what are you going to do with that strength? I've watched your career, Raditz. You've killed billions in your quest for power and wealth. Only Goku has the heart to be the champion that Earth needs right now. I won't be party to your kind of evil, Raditz," King Kai told him. Raditz clenched his fists.

"You're wrong!"

"Oh?"

"There is another! My mother, the one you're so afraid of? I know she had blood on her hands, but she's only ever done so to make sure the Saiyan race survives! If you can calculate the time they'll arrive, then you can see the yoke she's been under! But imagine, if she had gone to Earth with Kakarot, instead of suffering under Prince Vegeta, can you imagine the protector Earth would have had? Her love for her family, for everyone around her, even Vegeta, is greater than everything but the cruelest tyrant! I've seen into her heart, and I know, _she_ is where Kakarot gets that heart you so treasure!"

Raditz knelt before King Kai, "I know I'm not my mother. I know I've done horrible things, even relished in them. But we're on the verge of something great, something new. A new era for my people, for my family. Please, if my mother gives into her rage, she'll never come back. But if I can stand up to her, stand up to Vegeta, then I know I can do good, and fix my mistakes! We might even be able to stop Lord Freeza! I beg of you, King Kai, let me take this chance!"

King Kai looked down to Raditz, "I never thought I'd have a Saiyan kneeling before me. Your people have a lot of pride. It must have taken a lot of strength to do that."

Raditz looked to Goku, "My people are my pride. I'll do anything for them."

King Kai took a deep breath, "I'm not sure."

"He hurt a lot of people on Earth, including my son. Your own nephew. You threw him off a cliff, Raditz!" Goku said. Raditz nodded.

"I spent the week training your son. I knew he wouldn't get hurt from the fall. I only did that to distract you, I never would truly hurt Gohan. You have a special boy, and I'm proud to call him my nephew. He has so much potential, more than I ever had. And I knew you wouldn't let him get hurt, either," Raditz explained.

Goku crossed his arms, "Well...I dunno…"

"Please, Kakarot. I only fought you and your friends, and one human _that attacked me. _I trained Gohan using techniques that were used on me. I didn't kill _anyone_ on Earth! Only your Namekian friend has done that!" Raditz pleaded.

"King Kai? Can you check and see if that's true?" Goku asked.

"Hmm, let me check," King Kai flipped his antennae again, scanning Earth, "Well, he did scare the bejeezus out of one family, and made a mess of their house. He forced them to cook for him, but aside from the dad, none of them look hurt."

"That's the one who shot me! I needed a place to keep Gohan and to rest and eat. If I'd have been able to pay them, I would have!" Raditz insisted.

King Kai grumbled, "I'm not sure I believe you entirely, but it looks like you're telling the truth. Goku? I'll leave it up to you."

Goku contemplated his brother, prostrated before him and King Kai, "Well, I never had a brother before. So I guess it's okay."

"Really, Kakarot? Do you mean it?" Raditz's face lit up.

"Yeah! You and me, we'll protect the Earth! But you've got to promise not to hurt anyone that's weak, and don't kill anybody!"

"Of course! Our father was a protector of our world, and I yearn to live up to his legacy! I'll follow your lead, Kakarot. Just, please, I know how wicked our people can be, but we _have_ to give them a chance!" Raditz said.

"The Saiyans have been given plenty of chances," King Kai said. He looked Raditz up and down, "But...If you're serious...I think it could be worth it. All right. Let's get started. Raditz, I'm going to have you and Goku on the same regimen, even though you're already almost as powerful as I am. But you've still got a lot to learn. Goku, I want you to do everything you can to keep up with your brother. When you're done here, you'll be just as powerful as each other. Got that?"

"Got it!" they said together.

"Good. Now, your first task…"

Raditz and Goku stood side by side, the same excited expression on their faces.

"...Is to catch my monkey, Bubbles."


	11. Brussa's Grief

Chi Chi let out a flurry of strikes aimed at Piccolo's head, who dodged each one deftly. She was already sick of not being able to land a single blow on the green man. Of all the Dragon Warriors, nobody had taken to training quite like Chi Chi. When they'd started four months ago, she could barely keep up. Now, she trained almost entirely with Piccolo, as none of the others could match her speed or ferocity. She still had yet to master Ki manipulation, but that didn't stop her from tearing into whoever she sparred with. Now, the others were too terrified of her to even try, even if she wasn't quite at the level of Tien or Piccolo.

Gohan gawked at his mother sparring with Piccolo; she got closer and closer to landing on him every time. Suddenly, he was struck on the head with a staff.

"You need to pay attention, boy," Master Roshi commanded, "Remember, we've got to be tough, and always keep our attention on the task at hand."

"Yes, Master Roshi," Gohan sniffed.

"Now, do it again. And this time, keep your mind on what's in front of you."

Roshi started the pattern again; Gohan was making leaps and bounds with his training, too. He'd already surpassed where his father had been when he first trained under Master Roshi, and was quickly starting to catch up with the others.

"Gohan, did you finish your assignment?" Chi Chi called out. Gohan looked to his mother again.

"Eyes on me boy!" Roshi reminded him. Gohan ducked the staff this time, if only just.

"Yes, mom!" Gohan called out.

"Focus less on the boy and more on me!" Piccolo shouted, and he swung a punch at her. Chi Chi caught it with her arm, and came down on Piccolo's wrist with her elbow. He put her on the ground with a sweep of his leg.

"Mom!" Gohan started to rush towards his mother. Roshi swung his staff at Gohan again, but this time, Gohan caught the staff, broke it in two, and rushed Piccolo.

"Stop! Hurting! My! Mommy!" Gohan started to trade blows with Piccolo, who was caught by surprise by the boy's sudden attack and ferocity. When Gohan had pushed Piccolo to the edge of the Lookout, the Namekian struck out, punting Gohan to his mother.

"Just as I suspected. The boy's far more powerful than we've been giving him credit for. It's time for his training to go to the next level," Piccolo declared, "This isn't enough."

"We can only push him so far," Roshi said, "He's a child. We can-"

"Do nothing!" Piccolo snarled, "That's what you're doing! He's not even at the level we were at when we fought Raditz. We need to go further!"

"If we push him too hard, we could lose him!" Roshi insisted.

"If we don't, we could lose everything! Gohan's potential is our best bet!" Piccolo said.

"Gohan is _my son_ and he will train as _I_ see fit! There's nothing you can do about it, Piccolo!" Chi Chi declared.

"Oh yeah? You think so? I can do more for myself _and_ the boy with the time we've got left on our own, and you wouldn't be able to stop me! You can't land a single punch on me!" Piccolo reminded her.

Chi Chi charged up and landed a punch square in Piccolo's face, sending him to the ground.

"You _sure_ about that, green man?" Chi Chi spat. Piccolo wiped blood from his nose.

"Now hold on," Tien called out, stepping between the three of them, "I think we're getting ahead of ourselves, and we're not thinking this through."

Piccolo glared at Tien. Chi Chi held Gohan and tended to his hair. Roshi picked at the splinters of his staff.

"Piccolo's right in a lot of ways. Gohan's got more potential than we're tapping into. But I don't think sending him off to who knows where alone with Piccolo is the right call. We're here to teach each other. Not just Gohan, or Piccolo, or Chi Chi."

"You're right, Tien. We're all here to be teachers and students in one," Roshi admitted.

"I don't want my baby fighting," Chi Chi reiterated.

"But if it comes down to it, he might have to. So we should prepare him for anything, and everything. So here's what I suggest: We each take a turn teaching Gohan something. By the time the Saiyans arrive, Gohan will understand enough and have enough variety, that he might surpass all of us. Let me teach him something first. Then, each of us takes a turn teaching _each other_ something the other doesn't know," Tien offered.

"You're all pathetic and weak," Piccolo insisted, "There's nothing you can teach me worth knowing."

"If I didn't put Raditz down with the Tri-Beam, he'd have killed all of us. What do you think _you _might be able to do with a technique like that? And I know I could do something with that Special Beam Cannon of yours," Tien said.

Roshi nodded, "I think I know something that could help you understand your Ki better, Chi Chi. Tien, I think this is a wonderful idea."

Piccolo crossed his arms, "Fine, I'll play along. But I'm warning you, I won't hold back, and my training won't be easy."

"Please, you think I've shown you all my tricks, Piccolo? I've still got a few up my sleeve that could have put your old man down if I'd perfected them back in the day," Roshi said with a sniff, "Now's as good of a time to see them through as any."

"Fine. You! Bald one! You're with me!" Piccolo pointed to Krillin.

"What? Me? Huh?" Krillin stammered. Piccolo was already upon him.

"I'm going to teach you the meaning of power, and you'll teach _me_ something, or I'll leave you in the middle of the desert, _got it?_"

"Yah-huh…" Krillin nodded.

Just as Piccolo turned to leave the Lookout, a flier appeared, and then landed on the lookout.

"Huh? Oh, it's Bulma!" Chi Chi waved to her. Bulma waved back, but her smile was brief.

"Hey babe!" Yamcha came up to her, offering a kiss, but she walked past him, "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, hi Yamcha, I'm sorry," she shot him a quick smile, "Guys, you're all going to want to come over here."

The Dragon Warriors assembled around her; she was holding a device that showed the Earth and the various satellites around it.

"So, I set up a tracking system to predict when the Saiyans might get here, and two objects just showed up in orbit around the Earth. They're not moving like ordinary meteors. I think this is it…"

Chi Chi swallowed the lump in her throat, and nodded.

"I guess it's now or never, then...Bulma, do you know where they're going to land? Maybe we can intercept them," Krillin asked.

"Yeah, unless they change course, it should be just outside of Orange Star City."

"I know we had a hard time last time, but we've come a long way since then. We can do this. We're more in-synch, and we understand our limitations better. Let's protect our world," Tien said.

"We'll follow your lead, Tien," Yamcha said, with Krillin and Roshi nodding in agreement.

"Piccolo?" Roshi asked. Piccolo scoffed.

"Fine. But if it starts to go sideways, I'm doing my own thing," Piccolo warned.

"That's fair. Let's go this," Tien said, leading them off into the sky.

XXX

Brussa stepped out of her pod, and looked up to the sky; Meys' pod was right behind. It landed on the other side of the field. She floated up, taking a look around the area. There was a city only a few moment's flight away, and a road that curled up into the mountains. She checked her Scouter; she could go to the place where Raditz had been murdered within a few minutes. First, though, she was going to make these Earthlings suffer.

"So this is Earth, huh?" Meys stepped out of his pod, "I'm surprised Kakarot didn't take this place in his sleep when he was a boy."

"Don't say that name," Brussa said, "He betrayed all of us by fighting my brother. He was a weakling and a traitor."

Meys sighed, "Brussa, I want you to think about this. I know there's two of us, but the Earthlings were able to defeat Raditz. If we get separated, they might be able to pull the same stunt twice, so whatever we do, let's do it _together._"

Brussa heard her mother's voice when Meys emphasized the word 'together.' He was right; even without Kakarot, the Earthlings might pose a threat.

"Well, I'm sick of being cooped up. I'm looking to stretch my tail and get something to eat. What do you think?"

Meys smirked, "Yeah, I could eat. Let's test the local _cuisine_."

Together, they flew towards the city.

XXX

"Bulma was right," Roshi said, floating down to the field, "Those weird pods are here, just like Raditz's. And there's two of them, just like she said."

"And there's two powerful beings in the city," Krillin added, "Who knows what havoc they're causing."

XXX

"Aaaaand what's this one here?" Meys asked, pointing to the menu.

"That's a pizza with ham and pineapple," the waitress said.

"What's pizza?" Brussa asked.

"What's...Pizza?" the waitress blinked.

"That's _what I said_, are you _deaf?_ _What_ is _pizza?_" Brussa growled.

"Um...Well, it's…"

XXX

"We'd better hurry," Tien said, flying into the city towards the powers they could sense. It wasn't hard to find them, even without the ability to feel their presence. Tien couldn't help but groan when he found out where they were. A small group of people were looking through the window of a pizza parlor. Dressed in their battle armor and wearing scouters was a man and a young girl around the height Goku had been when Tien had first met him. They were sitting at a table with bowls of pasta, chunks of meat, and several pizzas on their table. The two Saiyans were chowing down at speed.

"The Hawaiian pizza is delicious, Meys! Try it!"

"I did, I don't care for it."

"Oh, okay, that's all right. More for me, then!" the girl said, stuffing almost a quarter of a pizza into her mouth. The Dragon team basically joined the crowd in gawking at the Saiyans eat.

"Okay, well, I was expecting Goku's mother, but I'd have to say they're definitely related," Roshi commented.

"Should, uh...We let them finish? I never felt dumb enough to get between Goku and a meal, and if these two are anything like Raditz, I doubt they're half as nice as Goku," Yamcha wondered. Chi Chi answered the question by barging into the pizza parlor. Their Scouters beeped, and they looked to her, still stuffing food in their mouths.

"Are you the Saiyans?" Chi Chi asked.

"Three fifty," Meys muttered, "Not much, but more than what Raditz reported for most of the Earthlings."

"Yeah, we are," Brussa said, her mouth full, "What's it to you, Earthling?"

Chi Chi took a deep breath, "My name is Chi Chi. Son Goku was my husband."

"Who's Goku?" Brussa asked.

"That's what the Earthlings called Kakarot," Meys said.

"Oh. Well, he's dead now so you should get over it. He was weak and needed to resort to stupid tricks, and it got him killed," Brussa said. Chi Chi's jaw clenched.

"I am here...To ask you to leave," Chi Chi said. Meys and Brussa gawked at her for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"I'm serious!" Chi Chi shouted, "Your people have caused enough trouble, so I'm giving you the chance to leave us alone before anyone else gets hurt! If your 'Raditz' had just listened, none of this could have happened! I would still have my husband, and you would still have your friend."

Meys stood up walking over to Chi Chi, "Listen, lady, that's not how any of this works. When Saiyans arrive, you do one of two things: You surrender, and hope you don't get culled by Lord Frieza, or you fight, and _everyone_ dies. There's really no 'leaving' until the job's done. And our job?"

He leaned in towards Chi Chi's face, "Raditz was my squad leader. He was my _friend._ And you people _killed_ him. Which means before we're done here, a _lot_ of Earthlings are gonna die, because I'm _really_ pissed off."

"You said you were Kakarot's mate?" Brussa asked, lost in thought and staring into space.

"That's right. We even have a son together. I don't understand why he insisted on being so cruel to his own nephew," Chi Chi said, shaking her head, "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes it does," Brussa said, looking up at her, "Kakarot was weak. We can't afford weak. We don't have _time_ for weak. My brother knew he had to-"

Something caught her gaze out the window, and Brussa's eyes locked onto their target.

"_It's him!_" Brussa suddenly snarled. Meys followed her gaze.

"The Namekian is here," Meys hissed. Brussa hopped off her chair, stuffing a few mozzarella sticks into her mouth as she did, leading Meys out of the pizza parlor.

"Excuse me, you still have to pay your bill!" the waitress called after them. Chi Chi sighed.

"They aren't going to pay. You might want to hide under something," Chi Chi warned her, following the Saiyans out of the restaurant, leaving the waitress and cooks dumbfounded.

"Namekian!" Brussa held up a finger to Piccolo, "_You killed my brothers._"

"Brothers?" Krillin muttered.

"Goku has a sister, too?" Yamcha gawked.

"It was the only way. He would have destroyed all of us if we hadn't stood in his way," Piccolo told her, walking towards the middle of the street.

"I'm going to destroy all of you _anyway_ for what you've done!" Brussa said.

"You're not even fully grown, kid. You don't know what you're getting into. I recommend you get back in your pods, and go back where you came from before I have to hurt you," Piccolo said, taking a few steps back. Brussa clenched her fists, and started gathering Ki.

"I am a Saiyan warrior! You will show me the respect I am owed!"

"You're a Saiyan runt," Piccolo said, still walking away from her, "Come back when you've gained a few feet."

"Please!" Chi Chi called out to her, "You don't have to do this!"

Brussa let out a yell, and charged at Piccolo, "Die, you coward!"

Piccolo spun about, taking her punches on the forearms, which launched him back down the street. Brussa continued her onslaught, striking Piccolo on the arms and driving him away with each blow. Meys let out a groan; she'd completely forgotten his instruction to stick together. Just like her to run off without thinking...

"Well, I guess it's up to me to kill the rest of you," Meys said, tossing a fried mushroom into his mouth, "Who's up first? It's been a long while since I had a real fight worth my while."

"I'll stop the girl!" Chi Chi called out, flying off towards Piccolo and Brussa.

"My name is Tienshinhan. I am a defender of this world, and I am giving you this chance to walk away from this fight," Tien warned.

"My name is Meys, and I would like to thank you for volunteering to be the first to die," Meys gave a mocking bow, which turned into a fighting stance as he launched himself at Tien. Tien was ready for the strike, but the blow Meys landed on Tien's shoulder was definitely going to leave a mark. The Saiyan followed up with a kick that sent Tien into the building across the street. Yamcha came at him with a punch, but Meys hopped up into the air and landed on top of Yamcha, launching the fighter at Krillin by pushing off him.

Instead of Yamcha becoming a projectile to knock around Krillin, though, Yamcha allowed himself to be flung, and Krillin deflected his friend with his hands around, so that Yamcha landed on his feet. Both warriors leaped after them, leaving a stunned crowd around them.

"Do you think this is an exposition match or something?!" Roshi yelled at them, "Run! You're in real danger! Before someone gets hurt."

The crowd stared at him. Roshi grumbled, aimed his hand to the ground, and fired a Ki blast. The very real explosion startled the people, and they booked it in the different directions. Roshi turned towards the battle, took a breath, and ran towards the action.

Meys struck Tien in the chest again with his charge, but Yamcha and Krillin were on him, grabbing his legs and throwing him back onto the street. Meys stopped himself from a hard landing by flying, only to catch Tien's fist to the jaw.

"All right, you Earthlings might have more fight in you than I thought," Meys admitted.

_I knew I should have insisted Shive come with us! Damn you, Brussa, what have you gotten us into?_ He thought to himself.

"We've been practicing since Raditz showed up," Tien said, "Back down. We have you outnumbered and overpowered. We don't have to do this."

"Really? I'm just getting warmed up, though!" Meys floated up, "I know what it's like to fight as a squad. When you're missing one, it's just not the same!"

There was a flash of yellow light, and a wave of Ki came straight towards Yamcha, who held up his arms to block the blast. It was still more than enough to send him back and leave him smoking where he landed. The blast, meanwhile, vaulted Meys down the street towards where Brussa was fighting. Roshi came to Yamcha's aid, and checked his breathing.

"He's still alive! I'll get Yamcha up, you go after him!"

Krillin and Tien flew after Meys, who kept blast-jumping his ways down the street, laughing as he left carnage in his wake.

"Are we really ready for this?" Krillin wondered, "He just took out Yamcha."

"And it took everything he had to do it," Tien said, "He's taunting us, but it's a bluff. He's running out of power. He's trying to get under our skin by causing destruction. Remember what he said? 'When you're missing one, it's just not the same.'"

"He's used to working as part of a team! He's trying to get to the girl!"

"We've got to stop him before then," Tien pushed himself faster, with Krillin on his heel.

"Whoop! Looks like you're mad!" Meys shouted to them, bouncing into the air with another blast. When he was nearly to the peak of his arc, he aimed the next attack at them, launching him faster down the street. The shot was sloppily aimed, but would distract them for a quick moment. He turned over in the air, and flew towards where Brussa was still pushing Piccolo to the city limits.

He looked down at the two of them; the Namekian hadn't swung at her at all, near as Meys could tell, while Brussa was pushing herself to her limits, trying to land a hit. Meys looked around at the city beneath him; while their fight had caused a bit of damage, Meys had caused almost all of the destruction.

_Oh no!_ Meys realized what was happening, "Brussa! He's toying with you! He's letting you drive him back!"

The girl Saiyan didn't listen; her attention was entirely on the Namekian. Meys was going to have to break her out of the situation, but taking out the Earthling and causing damage had taken a lot out of Meys. It was a risk, but keeping them off-balance was how he would survive this. But Brussa...She was wearing herself out, while the Namekian still had reserves, not to mention Kakarot's mate was still there, and catching up to them fast.

Meys reached out, and started blasting the area behind the Namekian, threatening devastation in front of their path. Piccolo was forced to charge forward and start deflecting the attacks, giving Brussa the window she needed to finally start landing blows that her enemy couldn't afford to block. Chi Chi launched herself from the ground at Meys; he fired a few blasts at her, too, though she blocked the sloppy shots away from the city.

"Why are you doing this?" Chi Chi demanded.

"Survival," Meys said, and they exchanged blows in the air, until she disengaged, allowing Tien to take her place. While Chi Chi had speed, Tien had much more power, and he landed a Ki-charged punch on Meys, flinging him outside the borders of the city.

"There...Now he won't be able to hurt anyone else," Tien remarked.

"Piccolo is getting hurt," Chi Chi pointed; after stopping some of Meys's blasts, Brussa now had the upper hand, and was pummelling the Namekian.

"Stop her. Krillin, on me!" Tien ordered, and he flew towards where Meys was about to land.

As Chi Chi caught up to Brussa and Piccolo, she reached out and snatched Brussa's tail.

"WHAT!" she snarled, "You...You dare...Grab me like...a...child…"

Brussa's head rolled around on her shoulders, and her eyes rolled around, "I will...Destroy you...Destroy all of you…"

"That's a handy trick," Piccolo said, "Good to know. Wish we'd used that on Raditz."

"I wasn't sure if it would work," Chi Chi admitted, "But now that I have her, what do I do?"

"Let...Me go…" Brussa commanded.

"I wouldn't follow her advice," Piccolo said, "I do have one idea. Can you bring her to Capsule Corp?"

"That's a ways away, but I think I can do that," Chi Chi said.

"I'll help the others with the second Saiyan."

"All right."

"And Chi Chi?"

"Hmm?"

"Good work," Piccolo said, flying off to help the others. Chi Chi smiled, and then flew up with Brussa in her arms, the Saiyan girl lazily trying to push Chi Chi away.


	12. To Drink

Meys found a nice, solid rock to land on. His Scouter tracked the Earthling woman carrying Brussa away; he really only had one chance to get away from them. His hand slid to his belt as the three-eyed Earthling approached with the other two bald ones. The Namekian was not far behind. This would have to be quick.

"It's over! We have you now!" Tien called to him. With one hand, Meys blasted at Tien, and with the other, he flung his knife at Krillin, having charged its special functionality with some of his Ki. The knife was unexpectedly fast for Krillin, who caught it in his shoulder. The momentum and pain sent Krillin falling out of the sky, giving Meys the opportunity to jump towards his pod.

Quickly switching the pod to manual and shutting the door as quick as he could, Meys got it floating in the air just as Piccolo blasted where it had landed. The pod zipped past the warriors, easily catching up to Chi Chi, who was still flying away with Brussa tucked under her arm. Meys pulled at a tube inside the pod and sucked at it, getting a mouthful of disgusting gruel that nonetheless was high in calories and nutrition.

"Blech," Meys smacked his lips, and pushed for the door to open. With one hand on the roof of the pod, Meys stepped out onto the door.

"Give me Brussa, or I won't hesitate to kill you!" Meys ordered her. Chi Chi shot him a glare that almost sent a shiver up his spine, if he weren't serious in his threat.

Chi Chi lowered her head to Brussa's face, "I'm sorry it all had to go like this. We should be family."

"Wh-what?" Brussa asked, trying to focus on Chi Chi. With a yell, Chi Chi tossed Brussa to Meys, who caught the Saiyan girl. Chi Chi gave a feint in her flying before falling behind the pod and letting it go past her as she flew back towards the rest of the team. She peeked over her shoulder, watching the pod close up and fly away towards the mountains. The second pod hovered out of its crater, before flying after the first.

Chi Chi flew towards the others, who quickly caught up to her, "I'm sorry. I had to give her up."

"It's okay, Chi Chi. He caught us off-guard. You'd have made it if we'd been paying closer attention," Tien said. He was helping Krillin fly, having wrapped up Krillin's shoulder.

"At least we know we can beat them," Piccolo said, "They just barely got away from us."

"Yeah, but with their ships, they can go anywhere on the planet. We'd never be able to catch up to them if they were to strike. We'll have to find a way to shoot down their pods," Tien said.

"Well, all I know is I could use a Senzu bean and a nap," Krillin remarked, "Can we go do that, and then go on a wild monkey chase?"

"Yeah," Chi Chi said, "Let's do that."

XXX

"They're so POWERFUL! How did they get that STRONG?!" Brussa pouted, "Raditz would have crushed the Namekian one-on-one! He DID! But now I couldn't land a punch without help?! What IS this?" Brussa demanded.

"They said they'd been practicing," Meys said, "Maybe they know of some kind of training we don't? It's the only way they could have gotten so strong in such a quick amount of time. Any one of them, aside from the Namekian, we could have taken, one-on-one."

He scowled, remembering.

"Hell, if we'd stuck _together_, we could have taken any three of them! Probably their whole team, but _you_ ran off to play with the green man!" Meys chided.

"HE'S THE ONE WHO KILLED MY BROTHER!" Brussa screamed, tears running down her face, "Now I'm stuck here, with YOU, and these people I can't beat, and I don't know what to do! Why did I do this? What am I doing?"

Brussa lumped against a tree, grabbing at her hair and crying. Meys sat on the ground in front of her, rubbing at his face where he'd been punched a few times by the Earthling woman.

"We're doing what's right. You don't kill one of us and get away with it. Shive should be with us in a few days, a week at the most. When he's here, we should be able to take all of them, and have our revenge. Then, we can gather the Dragonballs in time for your parents and Vegeta to arrive. Does that sound like a plan?" Meys asked.

"Hiding in the woods like a bunch of cowards. I'd rather keep fighting," Brussa said.

Meys smiled, "Maybe we'll get lucky, and catch one of them off-guard and alone, and we can have some fun. In the meantime, let's get some food, and we'll do a little training. That should help keep our minds off things, okay?"

Brussa wiped away her tears, "Okay, but I'll cook, you're terrible at it."

"Hey, your mom's taught me a few things!"

XXX

"Did you get them, Mom?" Gohan asked while Chi Chi brushed his hair. His face was, dutifully, in a math book, and he was doing his multiplications. They were at Capsule Corp, where Yamcha and Krillin were having their injuries tended to. The Senzu beans would probably do the job, but the alien knife might have unintended side effects, so Bulma had insisted on having their injuries studied.

"Almost, honey. We should get them next time."

"Okay! I miss dad."

"I do, too. Gohan, honey, would you like someone to play with once in a while?" she asked. He nodded.

"I like all your friends, they're nice, but none of them are my age, so it would be nice."

"I'll see if I can find you some playmates, then, Gohan. A boy your age shouldn't be alone," she decided. He nodded.

"Thanks mom!" he said, and he went back to his textbook. A cat purred and crawled on Gohan's lap on top of his book. Gohan carefully picked up the cat, placed it under the book, and kept working, one hand petting the cat, and the other going at his homework.

"Well, I've got a clean bill of health!" Krillin said, rubbing at his shoulder, "Good ole Senzu bean surgery did the trick."

"I'm glad you're okay, Krillin," Chi Chi said.

"Yeah, sorry, about what happened. If you'd gotten away, we'd be done with this already. I didn't even see the knife coming at me…" Krillin said, "By the way, did you see that Saiyan's moustache? Corny, huh?"

"I couldn't imagine you with a moustache, Mr. Krillin!" Gohan laughed with him.

"Yeah, that'd be weird, that's for sure."

"If this was just the second wave, we've got a lot more work to do," Piccolo said, "We should pick up our training right away."

"I just got stabbed by an alien knife, and Yamcha got blasted into concrete. I think we could do with one day off to recover," Krillin said.

"We don't have time-" Piccolo began.

"Piccolo, he's right," Master Roshi interrupted, "Our bodies might be back to full, but our minds aren't. We've learned and dealt with a lot today. We should process what's happened, and be ready for whatever tomorrow brings us. We have the advantage of being able to sense them, wherever the Saiyans are."

"Hmm. I could do with a bit of meditation," Piccolo conceded.

"We have a garden in that building over there with a stream you might like," Bulma gestured, arriving with Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha.

"Thank you," he nodded, and left.

"Is it just me, or did Piccolo really go out of his way to protect people today?" Yamcha asked.

"I noticed that, too," Tien said, "He took some nasty hits he didn't have to."

"Maybe we're rubbing off on him," Krillin chuckled, "Who knew Piccolo might have a soft side."

"Hmm, I hope so," Master Roshi said.

"So, I have a question," Bulma said, "What's stopping us from gathering the Dragon Balls and wishing back Goku so he can train with the rest of you?"

"I've been holding off on this one," Roshi admitted, "But bringing back Goku is the plan."

Chi Chi and Gohan looked up.

"That was the plan the _whole time_ and you didn't _tell me?!_" Chi Chi snarled. Gohan clutched the cat and pet it, trying to make it feel safe.

"Now hold on! I didn't want everyone slacking off because they thought Goku would come along and save us!" Roshi said, "And look what our training's gotten us! Those two were almost as strong as Raditz, and we took them on! Kami told me we had almost a year before the Saiyans arrived, and we're four months in. So, with eleven months before they get here, we still have seven to go! Imagine the gains we can make in that time!"

"What about Goku?" Krillin asked, "We'd be leaving him behind!"

Master Roshi shook his head, "No, that's the secret kick of it all. Kami says that Goku's going through some kind of intense training in the Otherworld. He assured me that when we're done, and Goku gets back, he'll be stronger than any of us! That's why we need to wait, to give Goku as much time as we can. The longer we wait, the stronger he'll be."

"In the meantime, we train, and get stronger," Yamcha said, "Maybe we won't need Goku by that point."

"Even if we don't, we'll be able to handle whatever comes next!" Krillin cheered, "I like the sound of that!"

"There's always something stronger," Master Roshi nodded, "Always be getting better."

"That's all well and good, but I'd feel a lot better having the Dragon Balls on hand before we need them anyway," Bulma said, handing each of them a small box, "So I'm gonna give _you_ all training. I'm going to give you each a Dragon radar, and I want you to get a Dragonball each before the end of the year. That way, we can gather them quickly, and get Goku back lickety-split when we finally need him."

"That's a great idea, Bulma!" Yamcha said.

"Of course it is," Bulma winked, "Think you all are up for it? Or, uh, will be?"

There were nods all around, except from Chi Chi, who stared at her radar. Bulma saw her expression, and stepped into the nex lab.

"Hey dad? Do you mind babysitting tonight?" she called.

"Hmm? Babysitting?" Dr. Briefs asked.

"Yeah, we need someone to look after Gohan," Bulma explained. Chi Chi looked at her.

"We do?"

"Yep. I'm calling Launch, we're finding the best bar in town, and having a girl's night out, because _you_ definitely need one."

"Go ask your mother!" Dr. Briefs said.

"Nu uh, she's coming, too!" Bulma said.

"Oh, all right, fine," Dr. Briefs walked into the room, "Gohan, why don't you come with me? I'll show you the wonders of SCIENCE!"

Gohan's eyes lit up mad he looked up to his mom.

"Go on, have fun with Dr. Briefs," Chi Chi said, and he gleefully chased after him, math book in one hand and cat in the other. Chi Chi looked to Bulma, "So, your mother?"

"Trust me, you get two Appletinis in my mom, and she's a party animal. I'm gonna see if Launch's old number works. I wonder what she's been up to lately?"

XXX

"So then Goku says… 'I thought 'Bride' meant something to eat!'" Chi Chi said, and the four women burst into laughter. Chi Chi leaned against Launch, who was wiping away the beer shed spilled from laughter.

"Chich, you made me spill my beer!" Launch laughed, "Ah-AH-CHOO!"

Launch swapped from blonde to blue, "Oh! I'm sorry, did I spill some on you?"

"It's fine, Launch," Chi Chi snickered, wiping off some of the beer. Launch switched glasses, having ordered two different drinks because of different tastes between the two Launches.

"Oh you should hear about when Brief proposed to me for the first time," Panchy said, "He gave me this puzzle box, but I thought it was a cute coaster. When he asked me if I'd solved it, I had no idea what he was talking about! He moped for a week before showing me how it worked!"

There was another round of laughter.

"Wait, is that the metal coaster in the TV room that looks like it's from a sports team?"

"That's the one!" another round of laughter. An older woman approached, holding a pair of drinks, one in each hand. Her hair was dyed pink, and she wore a blue blouse and white pants.

"Mind if I join you ladies? It sounds like you're swapping proposal stories, and I've got one I've _got_ to share," she said.

"Of course!" Bulma gestured to the open seat at their table. The woman placed one of the drinks in front of Chi Chi, and the woman leaned on the table, sipping at the other.

"All right. So I met him at a marine after a party on some guy's boat. Some bozo who'd won the Tenkaichi Budōka, I don't remember who it was. King Chappa, that's who it was. Anyway, the party was totally lame, so when we got back, I ended up getting some drinks at the marina, and hit it off with him while he was working.

"Long story short, he's an absolute sweetheart, but always changes the subject when I talk about getting married. So, one day, years after we met, I talk to his buddy at the Marina, and ask him to help me out with painting my boat. Now, my Heston, he gets all kinds of jealous that I asked his friend to help me out, not me. Even challenges his friend to a fight without me knowing. So, when I'm ready, I take out my boat for a spin along the marina. I see these two fighting on the dock, so I shout out, 'Heston! Look over here!' Heston punches his buddy in the face, looks over his shoulder, and guess what I had his buddy write on my boat?"

"Oh this has gotta be good!" Bulma leaned in.

"It says 'Marry me, dumbass!' on the side of it," she said. The table erupted with laughter.

"Wait, that's not even the best part of it. He drops his buddy, who falls in the water, and starts BEGGING me to forgive him for being so dumb. So I shout, 'Only if you save Giovanni from drowning, you dummy!'"

"Stop it, I'm gonna pee!" Launch yelped, laughing.

"My name's Nectreen, by the way," the woman said.

"I'm Bulma."

"I'm Lau-Lau-LAUNCH!" Launch sneezed, turning blonde again. Everyone stared at her, and Launch came up laughing, "'Marry Me, Dumbass!' Oh, that's rich, I gotta remember that one!"

"I'm Panchy, I'm Bulma's mother."

"And I'm Chi Chi," she bowed slightly.

"Well, thanks for indulging an old lady's stories."

"Oh, it's no problem, the more the merrier!" Bulma insisted, "If that's okay with the rest of you?"

With no objections, another round of drinks were ordered.

"You look pretty down there, Chi Chi, for someone with two and a half drinks in them," Nectreen said.

"Oh, it's just that...My husband is...He, uh…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chi Chi, I won't pry."

"It's okay, I think I need to talk about it," Chi Chi admitted, downing the drink that Nectreen had given her, "He's...Incapacitated, so it's been four months without him. I guess you could say he comes from a...Troubled family? And now they're in town, and I don't have him around. And it's only going to get worse, and I don't know what to do. His friends are helping, but…"

"Listen, Chi Chi, take it from me. I spent forty years with my Heston. I love him to pieces, rest his soul. But your man _can't_ be the only thing in life that you love. You gotta find what makes _you_ love life, beyond your love life. Beyond kids, crappy in-laws, believe me, I know crappy in-laws. Because if love is all you have in life, you forget how to live."

"Wait, I've read that somewhere," Panchy muttered. Nectreen grinned.

"Sounds like someone reads 'Dear Miss Peach' in the paper."

"_You're_ Miss Peach?" Panchy gasped.

Nectreen tapped her nose.

"Oh my goodness!" Panchy squeaked, and she offered to clink glasses, "Drinks with Miss Peach!"

Nectreen clinked glasses, and turned back to Chi Chi.

"I know it's hard being apart from your-Goku, was it? That name sounds familiar. Anyway. Being apart can hurt. But the best part is, you get to be with friends, _your_ friends, and with yourself. What is it about yourself that you love, Chi Chi?"

"Love about myself? Hmm...I love...My dedication."

"Yeah?"

"How...Much I care...And...My work ethic…"

"More than work, though, what do you love?"

"I love...I love being the strongest woman on the planet!" Chi Chi stood up.

"There we go!" Bulma cheered.

"I love being a martial artist, better than almost any man!"

"Sing it!" Launch called out.

"And I…" she sat, and took another drink, "I love my little boy, Gohan."

"Awww!" cooed Panchy.

"And...And my history, and my people...And...Um...This drink!" Chi Chi gulped it down.

"To this drink!" Bulma toasted.

"To drink!"


	13. A Time to Shop

"Meys?" Brussa called out, "Meys?"

"What is it?"

"Over here, I've found something. You're not going to believe this!"

Meys floated over, and grinned at what Brussa had found, "Oh this _is_ a good find."

"Why? It's just a Pod. It's interesting, but what makes it good?"

"Think about it, Brussa," Meys slid down the hill to the bottom of the crater, "Whose pod do you think this belonged to?"

"I mean, Kakarot, obviously."

"Oh, right, you're too young to remember how this used to be done. So, Kakarot was a baby when he was sent here, right? How do you think baby Saiyans, even weak ones like Kakarot, would take out planets for Lord Freeza?" Meys asked. Brussa shrugged.

"I have no idea."

Meys opened the pod, and gestured to a projector on it. Brussa stared at it.

"What is it?"

"It's a Blutz projector."

"Oh, like, the, um...Fake moon things?"

"Exactly. Now, Earth does have a moon, but it's only full once a month. But with this? We can turn into Oozaru whenever we want, so long as it's dark out," Meys reched for his knife, and grumbled once he remembered it was missing, "Well, we'll need some tools. Raditz showed me how to modify Pods, so if we can get a power source, we should be able to modify it so we can carry it around. I don't think this pod is going anywhere, though."

Brussa looked around, "I think there was a town that way. We could steal some tools there."

"No, we should avoid attention if we can until we're ready," Meys shook his head, "We should do some hunting, and sell the meat for whatever passes as currency, and buy them instead."

"But the Namekian and his allies can sense our presence anyway! We can't hide from them, it's like they always have scouters anyway. We should take what we want!" Brussa said.

"The more we destroy, the more of a reason they have to come after us. I'd rather fight them _with_ the Blutz projector than without it. Once we have it ready, that's when we strike. A wise warrior knows when to wait, and when to fight," Meys explained. Brussa crossed her arms.

"Everyone said you were the dumb one," Brussa said, "Why you make me feel like the dumb one?"

Meys smiled, "I've been doing this for a long time. Besides, if I was so smart, why would I keep growing out this moustache to piss off Vegeta?"

He pointed to the hair on his lip. Brussa grinned back at him.

"Well, he's shaved it off you enough imes, all the scars make you look even uglier without it."

"Oh poor me, what ever shall I do with this ugly mug of mine?" Meys put his hands on his face, shaking his head in faux shame. Brussa laughed.

"Come on, let's bury this thing so nobody finds it, and then do a bit of hunting. We've got nothing else to do out here, anywhere."

They spent the rest of the day hunting the most dangerous beasts they could, assuming that the rare meats could be sold for more than the easier catches. It was a trivial matter for them to take down creatures like a T-Rex and fly it into the village, where the beast was almost as big as the main square.

"Wow, mister, you and your daughter brought in quite a haul!" a local Earthling said, gawking at the T-Rex.

"Daughter? No, she's...Uh...My sister," Meys said, shaking his head, "Anyway, we're new to the area. Thought we could make a little money with some hunting."

"Ah, do you know Goku? This looks like something he'd hunt," the Earthling said. Meys's jaw clenched.

"We're familiar with him. Who do I talk to about cutting this thing up?"

"Well, you probably couldn't sell the whole thing, but truth be told, this will keep the village stocked for months on meat. I wish we could give you enough money for the whole thing, but I'm afraid we don't have much…" the Earthling admitted.

"WHAT? We worked hard for this creature, do you see the teeth on this thing? You should give us what we're owed!" Brussa barked, floating up to the man. Meys shoved her back to the ground.

"Tell you what. We're looking for some supplies. Why don't we talk about some trade, then, and we'll exchange the money we _would_ get for what we need?" Meys suggested. The Earthling blinked at Brussa floating, but looked to Meys.

"Definitely relatives of Goku...Yes, I think we could do that. I'll get the butcher, and he'll get you a number, and we'll work something out," the Earthling said, "You can call me Pops."

"I'm Meys, this is Brussa."

Brussa harrumphed.

"All right, wait right here, and we'll see what we can get for you," Pops nodded to them, walking into the market. Brussa ripped off a bit of skin of the T-Rex, cooked it with her Ki, and chewed on it.

"I know, not exactly 'Conquering worlds', is it? But you've got to learn to wheel and deal for things like gear, even in the Freeza Force. This is an important lesson your dad won't teach you. Trust me, this is how your mother gets all those spices to make field rations taste like feast fit for Freeza. A little patience, a soft tone, and a smile can go a long way. Trust me."

"Oh shucks, Pops, you weren't kidding! You sure this thing isn't gonna get up and eat us? It's almost intact!" the butcher gestured to the T-Rex.

"That's what I thought!" Pops laughed, "This is Meys and his sister, Brussa."

"It wasn't hard. Just one shot to the head and it went down," Brussa grumbled.

"One shot, huh? You're some kind of sniper, kid!" the butcher said, "Well, for an intact T-Rex, I can't sell the whole thing here in market, but I know some bigger butchers in the city that would be interested in coming and taking a slice. I'd say something like this would go for, hmm, probably get a good million Zeni for a whole T-Rex like this in good shape, if we can cut it up in time."

"How long is that?" Meys asked. The butcher shook his head.

"If I had a team of ten, it could take us a couple days. We've probably got less than a few hours to get this thing cut up and packaged before it starts getting bad."

"Well, if you can get the packaging, we can butcher it ourselves before the end of the day," Meys offered, "Then we can call it one point two million Zeni?"

"Uh, yeah, easily, if you can pull it off."

"Well, I lost my good knife yesterday, so could I borrow some equipment? Brussa and I can cut this thing up if you've got the boxes."

"Boxes? We'd need salt or refrigerators to haul this whole thing! I don't have that on hand!"

"Then you best get to calling your friends, huh?" Meys said with a rumble in his voice.

The butcher blinked, "You're serious...All right, then, I'll see what I can do!"

Brussa rolled her eyes, "Now we're doing our own dirty work?"

"You've never cut up an animal with your mother before?" Meys asked.

"Of course I have. I just don't see why we can't get them to do it."

"One point two million Zeni."

"What _is_ a Zeni?"

Meys shrugged. A few minutes later, the butcher returned with a squad of young men with boxes and a number of butchering tools.

"If you're sure you two can handle this monster on your own…" the butcher offered them. Meys took the largest of them, which was the next best thing to a sword, and nodded.

"Hope you boys can keep up," Meys said, offering the next largest to Brussa. Together, they started slicing large chunks of meat off the T-Rex, which they then cut into smaller steaks to drop in the crates held by the men. By the time they were halfway through the dinosaur, trucks had started to arrive. Pops and the butcher were busy negotiating who would buy what, and packaging the steaks into the refrigerated trucks. By evening had struck, Meys and Brussa had finished cutting up the T-Rex.

"Definitely related to Goku," Pops muttered to the butcher, who nodded in agreement

"Told you we could do it," Meys said, wiping blood off his face with a towel, "How much did we earn?"

"Well, it wasn't the million Zeni, but we haven't sold everything yet. I'm gonna be selling T-Rex steaks for days after this before we have the full amount," the butcher said, "But we've got six hundred thousand on hand, which is more than I've ever seen at once."

"All right! That was some good training, too, wasn't it, Brussa?" Meys asked.

"It was all right."

"Why don't we get you two a bath, and then celebrate?" Pops recommended.

"Money first," Brussa demanded, holding out her hand.

"Heh, all right. Six hundred twenty four thousand, five hundred Zeni," the butcher handed over the cash boxes, "Count it yourself if you'd like."

Brussa started to do just that.

"Maybe after a bath, so you don't get blood all over the money," Meys recommended.

"All right," Brussa agreed, putting the money back in the cash box.

"Bath house is this way," Pops led them into the village proper. Here, Meys and Brussa were given private stalls to wash off all the blood, and then they went into the communal baths to relax for a little while. Brussa kept her tail wrapped around the handle of the cash box the whole time.

"So you're the one who brought in the T-Rex?" a teenager asked, sliding into the bath with Brussa. She was accompanied by a couple of other girls, who also stepped into the bath. One had long, brown hair that fell to her shoulders, the second had blue hair wrapped up in a bun, and the third was a yellow dog girl. Brussa slid deeper into the water, and nodded.

"That's a heck of a takedown. Biggest thing I've ever killed was a boar. It drove my brother up a tree for about two hours before I found them!" she laughed. Brussa stared at them. The three girls exchanged glances with each other.

"So...You new here?" one of the girls asked.

"We arrived a couple weeks ago."

"I'm Bell. This is Kaz and Vuvu," the brown-haired girl gestured to the blue haired girl and the dog respectively.

"I'm Brussa."

"Welcome to Paozu," Kaz said, "It's not much, but it's home."

"Hey, you've got a tail! Wasn't there a boy who lived on Mt. Paozu with a tail?" Vuvu asked, pointing at Brussa's tail.

"Everyone of my people have tails! It's not weird!" Brussa shouted, "You don't have tails! That's what's weird! You're weird!"

"If I had a tail that I could use a hand like that, you'd bet I'd get one!" Vuvu laughed.

"I bet the boy was Goku. He still lives out there with his family," Bell said, "Is he your family?"

Brussa sank back into the water, "Not anymore. He and my brother killed each other."

The mood was instantly glum, and the three girls were quiet.

"I'm so sorry," Bell reached out to Brussa's shoulder, but Brussa swatted it away.

"It's fine."

Bell sat next to her, "No, it's not. I lost my sister a couple of years ago. I know what that's like, to lose someone you love like that. When did this happen?"

Brussa sank until the water was up to her nose, not replying.

"You don't have to say anything. You've filled my dad's stall for the next month, so I'm going to take you shopping. We'll get you something better than...Green...Spandex?"

"You aren't spending any of my money!" Brussa snapped, clutching the cash box.

"With how much you've earned today, _you're_ spending your _own_ money," Bell laughed, "I'm not gonna steal from you. If you live in the woods with your brother, you deserve something of your own, don't you think?"

Brussa put the cash box back on the edge of the bath, "I guess. We go from place to place, so I don't own much. Back home, I just kind of have a bed, and that's it…"

"Oh that's no good. We are getting you outfitted for _sure_," Kaz said.

"Outfitted for what? Are we fighting something?"

The girls laughed.

"You could say something like that," Bell said.

XXX

"I gotta say, Mr. Meys, it's a pleasure doing business with you and your sister," Pops said once they were in the bath.

"Can't say I've ever been stuffed this full of stock before! I'm Dice by the way. My daughter's, Bell, is in the girl's bath with your sister," the butcher said.

"Really? Good luck to her. Brussa's got a temper on her," Meys said.

"I've seen the girl stare down a charging boar without flinching. She's tougher than she looks. So what brings you to Chaztke, huh?" Dice asked.

"Bit of a family reunion, I guess you could call it. My, uh, brother, Raditz died, so my, ah, family is coming to see if we can't get some justice," Meys said, "Brussa got antsy, though, so we showed up first to see if we could get a head start."

"Oh, I'm sorry, friend, that's rough. Do you know who did it?" Pops asked. Meys nodded.

"I know what he looks like,and how to find him. But we can't do it alone. So we're staying put until the rest of the family arrives. We'll do what we can before then, though."

"Careful about revenge, Meys," Pops said, "It can eat at you, and turn you into something you might not like. If this fellow's hurting people, take him down if you can, but consider, it may be worth just grieving for your brother and moving on with your lives."

Meys stared at the ceiling, considering Pops's advice, but shook his head.

"I appreciate it. But that's just not our way, Pops."

Pops nodded, "I understand. Just, remember, justice can come in a lot of different forms."

"I never gave 'justice' much thought, to be honest. We live hard lives. So losing a member of our family? It's a big blow, and it hasn't happened in a long time. There aren't many of us left," Meys explained, "It's just not something we can let stand."

"Do all of your people have tails?" Dice asked, gesturing to Meys's, "I heard a long time ago there was a boy on Mount Paozu who had one. Wandered around and did a lot for the people in the East District. Fought criminals and monsters and things like that."

Meys bit his lip, then nodded, "Yeah. I assume that's Goku, but I didn't want to say anything. We lost him a long time ago. When we found him again...He wasn't keen on coming back with us. It got ugly, and we lost two people that day."

"That's a shame. Shame about Goku, I bet his wife and son are devastated. Family shouldn't fight like that. Sometimes family's all you've got in the world," Pops said.

"Hard lesson to learn," Dice said, fighting a lump in his throat.

"I suppose. We've all we've had for...Well, a long time. It's been hard to see a future for ourselves," Meys lamented.

"There's always something new. If your family changes its mind, we'd be happy to have you around. Come on, let's swing by the grills and chow down on some of that Dino meat you brought in," Pops said, "I got a huge shipment of veggies the other day. We'll have a feast, to celebrate and take our minds off our troubles."

They all left the bath and got dressed again. As the three men left the bathhouse, Meys saw Brussa leaving with three teenage Earthlings, while carrying her armor in one hand and the cashbox in the other, walking in her boots and underclothes.

"Looks like my daughter's adopted your sister already," Dice chuckled, "She does that."

Meys grinned; Brussa had a sort of stunned look as the other girls dragged her by the hand to the market. None of them were holding her tail, and she was walking with her own feet, so she wasn't forced. Meys was honestly feeling relaxed right now, and the idea of some home cooked food sounded amazing.

"Brussa's mother is the best cook I know, and she's taught me a couple of things. I'll help with the grilling."


	14. Requiem for the Saiyan Warrior

"All right, let's see what we have. How about this?" Bell asked, picking a dress off the rack. It was yellow with patterns of flowers all over it. Brussa winced.

"That's completely impractical. All that fabric would just get in the way," Brussa said.

"Aww, I think it's cute!" Vuvu said, "You'd look like a summer day."

"No, I think she's right. You live in the woods, right? You need something a bit practical, but that doesn't mean you can't look good doing it," Bell said.

"What's wrong with my armor?" Brussa asked.

"I meant, if you want to look like some sci-fi geek, sure," Kaz laughed, "Where did you even get that, anyway?"

"My father gave this to me for my tenth birthday. Said I was a true Saiyan warrior when I got it," Brussa said.

"Well, there's no reason you have to give it up. But let's get you something more comfortable," Bell said, putting the dress back, "Something rugged, comfortable...Hmm...What about denim?"

"Get something that will hang a bit, she's gonna hit a growth spurt any day," Kaz insisted, "My mom made that mistake with me. I got this really comfortable jacket, and then three weeks later it was two sizes too small."

"Oh, right. How about this, then?" Vuvu asked, digging into the rack and pulling out a jean jacket.

"What are you all doing?" Brussa asked, crossing her arms, "I am a Saiyan Warrior, not a doll!"

"Doesn't mean you can't look kicking a little ass, Brussa," Bell insisted, "If your brother's any indication, do you _all_ wear that armor? It never hurts to stand out a little."

Brussa grumbled, and took the denim jacket from Vuvu, putting it on over her form-fitting shirt. It was soft on the inside, but seemed rugged enough. Brusa pulled on the sleeves a bit to confirm. It wasn't her armor, certainly, but it was comfy.

"Looks good! You look fierce, like nobody's gonna mess with you," Bell said. Brussa smiled.

"They shouldn't."

"That's what I'm talking about! Like a real, uh, what was it you said? Saying-Warrior?"

"Saiyan."

"Gotcha. All right, now, let's get you some pants to go with it. It's a little loose now, but you'll grow into. Now, you can't go wrong with a good pair of jeans, so try these on," Brussa handed her a pair of pants and a belt. Brussa started taking off her clothes in the middle of the shop.

"Um, we have curtains for changing," the shop owner pointed.

"...Okay?" Brussa stared at her.

"For privacy?"

"Oh. Sorry," Brussa shuffled behind the curtains, and started to change. When she got the pants, she called out, "There's no room for my tail!"

"Just put the pants on best you can, we can sew a hole for it after," Bell said.

"Oh, all right," Brussa said, shimmying into them. She walked out from behind the curtain with her new outfit.

"There you go, rockstar!" Kaz gave her a thumbs-up, "Spin around, show us the whole thing."

Brussa spun in place, arms out, looking down at the clothes.

"Yeah, that looks uncomfortable for the tail Can we do anything about that?" Vuvu asked the shopkeeper.

"Sure. I'll cut a hole, and then sew some fabric on it for a little sleeve, so the hole won't show what's underneath," said the shopkeeper.

"I guess it's okay. It makes me look tough?"

"The toughest!" Vuvu said.

"Then I like it!" Brussa declared.

"You should get a few pairs of pants, just in case something gets damaged or dirty," Kaz pointed out, "And some shirts to go under your jacket, just so you can take off the jacket if it gets hot or something."

"Let me take your measurements, is that okay? It'll help me with the tail," the shopkeeper asked. Brussa let her, then changed back behind the curtain so the shopkeeper could make modifications. While the shopkeeper started cutting at the pants, Kaz beckoned Brussa over.

"Now I know you said you want to look tough and wanted something practical, but I really think you should get something cute, too," she said.

"Why? I'm a warrior, not a decoration."

"Yeah, but if you _look_ pretty while kicking butt, you'll make them think, '_Oh no, I got my butt kicked by a flowery little girl! I'm so ashaaaaamed!_'" Kaz explained, putting her hands to her cheeks and squeaking her voice, mocking Brussa's theoretical enemies.

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of it that way."

"And you've got to learn to wear stuff, just because you _like_ the way you look. There's no shame in wearing stuff for you. In fact, that's the whole point! What's your favorite color?" Kaz asked. Brussa blinked.

"Oh, favorite color? Huh, I never thought about that. Why would I need a favorite?" she asked.

"You don't _need_ one, but maybe there's one you just like. There's no reason, it's just the way it is."

"Well, hmm. I hate yellow. And purple. Purple is the color of Lord Freeza. Um...Hmm...Well, my mother's armor has always been green. But I remember, this one time, when I was little, we passed by this exploding star. My mom took me to the observation deck to watch it. It was all kinds of reds and blues, mostly, but it was all kinds of colors. I think about the blue center of that explosion, and the bright white light in the center. It made me feel...Small. But, like, in a good way, like there's so much to see and explore and do. So much stronger to become."

Brussa looked to Kaz, "Does that help?'

Kaz smiled at her, "You've got the heart of an artist, Brussa. Something like an exploding star, hmm. Put out your arms like this for me? Dang, girl, you've got some tone! We've _got_ to show that off. C'mere, let's see if any of these speak to you."

Brussa looked through the racks of clothes, most of which didn't interest her. She didn't really understand any of this; why were there so many different kinds of shirts? Brussa thought about some of the women she'd seen or met in the Freeza Force. Mostly they wore the same armor as everyone else, but there were a few exceptions. Her father rarely wore much other than his armor. Her mother had that armored skirt...But did she _like_ the way it looked?

"Show off my tone…" Brussa muttered to herself, picking through the outfits, "What about this?"

Kaz put the tube-top and miniskirt back, "Maybe _after _you've hit your growth spurt."

"Okay, what about this one?" Brussa pulled out a sleeveless blue Cheongsam. The dress was cut so that she would have full range of movement with her legs while still remaining modest. She particularly liked the blue fabric with the white lining.

"Oh, that's a good pick. It's a bit fragile, so you've got to be careful with it, but you'll look great. Go try it on, see if it fits!" Kaz encouraged. Brussa took a little extra time to figure out the dress, and asked for a bit of help, but came out with it. It fit a little tightly, but she'd never worn anything like silk before.

"Now we're talking, Brussa! That's perfect. Prettiest star in the sky!" Bell said.

"It's a bit tight," Brussa admitted.

"I can make some modifications, but you'll probably outgrow it either way," the shopkeeper warned.

"I won't hit my big spurt for a couple of years, so it'll last me until I'm about fifteen anyway," Brussa said, "Can you make it fit?"

"Until you're...Fifteen? Huh?" the shopkeeper muttered.

"Yeah, I can get a few years out of all of this. Can you modify it like the rest of it?" Brussa asked. The shopkeeper nodded.

"I'll have the jeans done before the end of the night, but can you come back in a couple of days for the dress?" the shopkeeper asked.

"I guess so," Brussa shrugged. She changed into the denim outfit, with the first of the jeans being completed already. They spent a little while in there, picking out clothes for the other three, while waiting for the rest of Brussa's jeans to be modified. They paid, giving Brusa context for just how much money they had made off the T-Rex.

"Wow, I guess we really made a lot of money off that monster…" Brussa admitted.

"Yeah, it was an intact T-Rex, Brussa, what did you think?" Bell asked. Brussa shrugged.

"I'm not used to using Zeni, I guess you could say? I never really handled money at all before…" Brussa admitted.

"I guess that makes sense. Especially if you live in the woods with just your family," Vuvu said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing with the rest of your money?" Kaz asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Meys wanted to buy some tools for the spacepod!" Brussa cringed.

"You _would_ be out of this world," Bell laughed.

"Oh, I smell food!" Vuvu called, rushing ahead. Brussa took in a deep whiff, and outpaced her to where people were congregating, eating, and drinking.

"There you are, Brussa. I figured you'd be here the moment we started cooking," Meys said when she appeared.

"I was avoiding it because I knew _you_ were cooking," she teased. Brussa offered him the cash box. He wrapped his tail around it to carry it.

"Brussa, what is it that you're wearing?" he asked. She held the edge of her denim jacket, trying to think of an answer.

"...Human clothes?"

"Why?"

She looked over to Bell, and then back to Meys, "They told me to? I don't know. Coming here was your stupid idea."

Meys grinned at her, and offered her a plate, "C'mon. Let's eat some Earth food."

Brussa took the plate, and walked over to the other girls, stuffing a whole steak in her mouth as she walked. The girls stared at her as she ate.

"...What?" Brussa asked when she noticed.

"Okay, new plan, let's see how much steak Brussa can stuff in her mouth at once," Vuvu said. Meys rolled his eyes as Brussa went off with the Earthling girls.

"So, did you hear about the attack on Orange Star City? Some kind of terrorist attack a few days ago," Pops asked, "Haven't heard of anything like that since King Piccolo."

"Did you say Piccolo?" Meys asked. Pops nodded.

"Yeah. I fought the Red Ribbon Army for ten years, but those months with King Piccolo was the worst campaign I've ever fought in. I sure hope we don't have days like those again," Pops said.

"I heard there was a green man just like him when it happened," Dice said, "I sure hope there aren't more like him."

Meys crushed the ceramic cup he was holding.

"Woah! Easy there, Meys! That's quite a grip you've got," Pops said, inspecting Meys's hand.

"Tell me about this King Piccolo," Meys demanded.

"King Piccolo? How could you not know about that? This was eight years ago!" Pops asked. He saw Meys's gaze, and swallowed, "Right. King Piccolo. Three hundred years ago or so, he came out of nowhere, and started the Piccolo Wars. He's this green devil with pointed ears, antennae, yellow arms. He takes over the world, until this hero, a Martial Artist named Mutaito, and his students finally make a stand against him. They sealed him away.

"Eight years ago, though, Piccolo came back and took over the government, overthrew the king and everything. He destroyed half of Central City and much of the military. I got hurt, and spent the end of the war in a coma, but when I woke up, King Piccolo and all his monsters were gone. We spent the next few years hunting down all the criminals he released. Five years ago, I was done with the fighting, left the Army, and moved back home out here. Been selling vegetables ever since," Pops explained.

"Piccolo was the name of the creature that killed Raditz," Meys said. Pops and Diced stared at Meys. Meys took a deep breath, "If I'd known that Piccolo was trying to take over the world...He played Kakarot. He died for that monster!"

Pops rest his hand on Meys's bicep, "Piccolo's dangerous, Meys. You can't blame yourself. He turned a lot of people to his side. Stay away from him."

"No. I can't. This is all the more reason to put him down! We failed to kill him then, but we're going to be ready this time," Meys vowed.

"Wait, were _you_ who Piccolo was fighting in Orange Star City?" Dice asked. Meys nodded.

"If we'd planned better, been more prepared, we might have been able to destroy him once and for all. We wouldn't need the rest of the family."

"A lot of people died in that battle, Meys," Pops said.

"We could have won!" Meys insisted.

"At what cost? A whole section of the city was destroyed! Hundreds of people _died,_ Meys! You're a _soldier._ The only person you should be concerned with killing is your enemy, and only until the job's done. Any more than that, you're not a soldier, you're just a murderer. You lose your honor, your pride, and all you're left with is blood on your hands," Pops said, "I know you have a lot at risk with the way your people live your lives. But I've seen a lot of combat. I've seen a lot of bloodshed. The ones who go about slaughtering people because they're in the way, or just because it's fun, they were always the greatest cowards."

"You'd better watch your tongue, human."

"You think I'm scared of you? Scared of dying, Meys? Not if it means doing the right thing. Protecting people from monsters. You want to kill Piccolo, go right ahead. But if you hurt people while doing it, you're no better than he is. Just another monster," Pops said.

Meys looked at his hand.

_Monster._

He clenched his fist, "Monster…"

"Woah, Meys, take a breath," Dice said.

"A...Monster...I am…" Meys ran his hand through his hair, "I am a monster…"

Meys ran short of breath, and took steps back, "That's all I am, isn't it? After what Freeza did to my planet, all we've _done_ is kill people. Wipe out whole civilizations, just like ours…"

"Meys?" Brussa called out, walking towards him.

"How are we any better than him? What, because you're _weak_? Freeza killed our entire people in an afternoon, what does that make us? We're _nothing_, just like all of you!" Meys shouted. Pops stepped forward.

"Meys, listen to me," he said, "Look at me. You do things in war you're not proud of."

"What we do isn't _war!_ It's not even _fighting!_ It's just _death!_ No different than...Than what happened to my brother...Oh, Beets...He'd just had his first kid, a daughter, and they were..._Vaporized!_ How many times have I done that? How many times have I _laughed_ about it?" Meys shook his head.

"We're Saiyan warriors! We conquer, it's what we do!" Brussa insisted.

"No, we don't conquer. We're _lackeys._ Butchers, every one of us. We feed Freeza's _gullet_ because he's taken _everything_ from us and we _cower_ from him. We're supposed to have _pride!_ We're supposed to be _warriors!_ When was the last time we fought a planet that put up anything _resembling_ a real fight?" Meys demanded.

"Mom says we do it to survive, because it's all we can do until we're ready!" Brussa said.

"Brussa, your mother is _wrong._ We're not surviving, we're being toyed with like mice! I am not a _mouse_, I am a _warrior._ Slaughtering the weak is not the business of a Saiyan with any real pride," Meys said.

"You _are_ my pride!" Brusa said, repeating her mother's mantra.

"No, Brussa. Some things are beneath us, even if the reward is survival. I will kill Piccolo, but after this, I will kill _no more worlds,_" Meys vowed. He pulled his scouter off his face, dropped it on the ground, and flew off, leaving the cash box behind.

"Meys!" Brussa started to fly after him.

"Brussa!" Pops called after him, "Let him go. You can't stop him."

"Piccolo will kill him if I don't!" Brussa said.

"Piccolo will kill you, too, if you try," Pops said, "Believe me. I've fought his minions."

Brussa failed to fight back tears, "I can't let Piccolo kill him, too! I have to try! We can't keep losing people!"

"Would Raditz want you to die trying, too, Brussa?" Pops asked. Brussa floated down, hanging her head.

"I don't want to lose him...I don't want to lose anyone…" Brussa sobbed. Bell wrapped her arms around Brussa.

"We'll be here when he gets back, Brussa. It's going to be okay," Bell assured her. Brussa picked up Meys's scouter.

"I really hope so…"


	15. Breakfast with Chi Chi

Meys landed on the cliff where Raditz had fought Kakarot and his team. It was cold and windy, and Meys was wearing little more than his armor and underclothes, but he didn't let the chill bother him. He had a fire inside him, one he hadn't felt before. After decades of scurrying under Freeza's boot, slaughtering millions, acting like a rat, he was on the verge of understanding what it truly meant to be a warrior. He could feel it in his gut.

This was right. Meys listened to the wind whip by. He felt the chill bite at his ears. He could feel the battlefield around him. Raditz's grave called to him. He didn't know how long he stood there, listening. Time lost meaning while he prepared his mind and his body.

He could feel the Namekian coming to him. He wasn't alone, either. Meys gathered power, but not into his arms or legs or mouth for an attack, but into his core. For the first time, Meys felt power. Real, actual power.

"It's him, all right," one of the humans called out. It was the short, bald one, accompanied by the scarred one with the black hair. The three landed in front of Meys.

"Piccolo," Meys called out. He opened his eyes, and stared down the Namekian.

"Meys, right?" Piccolo asked, " Where's the girl?"

"Brussa isn't here," Meys said, "Neither is my Scouter. There's nobody here but us. Nobody listening, nobody to interfere."

"That's fine with me," Piccolo said. Meys scowled.

"You killed Raditz and Kakarot. There are only six of us left now. I thought our scarcity and our pride made us special. But the only people you've hurt is us. Nobody else cares what happens to the Saiyans," Meys said, "Slaughter is beneath us. So we do this, you and I. Nobody else gets in our way."

Piccolo pulled off his turban, and removed his cape and pauldrons.

"I'm ready when you are, Saiyan," Piccolo said.

"This is for Raditz! AND KAKAROT!" Meys charged at Piccolo. He punched at Piccolo's side, and then high. Piccolo blocked both, grabbing Meys's wrist and punching him across the face.

Meys recoiled from the hit, but attacked low with his fists, sending Piccolo recoiling back. Meys floated in place, letting Piccolo make the next move; the Namekian obliged, charging a Ki strike, and moved in for a close-range hit. Meys rolled a kick across Piccolo's shoulders. Piccolo twisted with the blow, landing the strike on Meys's chest. Meys tumbled back, and then flew down and around, coming at Piccolo from beneath.

Piccolo, however, fired a rapid series of Ki blasts, some of which struck Meys along the back. He let out a cry, but still had the senses to roll around, and fire a blast from his mouth.

Piccolo flew straight at Meys, keeping his flight pattern irregular to make it hard for Meys to hit him. After closing the gap, he slammed into Meys, who began to punch at Piccolo's head and ribs, trying to get the Namekian off him. Piccolo, meanwhile, struck at Meys's back, causing the Saiyan to recoil and gasp as they sped towards the ground. Meys charged Ki into his fists. These strikes were enough to force Piccolo off him, and sent him flying away from Meys. Keeping up the momentum, Meys charged and fired a narrow blast at Piccolo.

"They're pretty evenly matched," Krillin said.

"We can't let Piccolo die, or we lose any chance of getting Goku back. The Dragon Balls will be inert!" Yamcha said, "Do you think we should get involved?"

Krillin let out a gulp, "We might have to, but we should trust Piccolo's skill. If things get dicey, we'll save him."

"But with the three of us, we can take the Saiyan," Yamcha said. Krillin clenched his jaw.

"I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do...Do you remember what he said?"

"Yeah...He said slaughter was beneath him...What do you think happened?"

"I don't know. Wait, hold on, he said he was doing this for Raditz and Kakarot. Kakarot is what Raditz called Goku!"

"You don't think…"

"Yamcha, stay here, and keep Piccolo safe if you need to. I've got an idea."

"Wait! Krillin! Oh, man!"

Meys glanced over his shoulder when he noticed one of the humans had taken off. Piccolo took the moment to strike Meys in the chest with Ki. Meys grunted, and took a swing at the oncoming Piccolo, losing interest in the human.

XXX

Krillin had a long way to fly. When he saw Chi Chi's house come into range, he hoped this would work. It was dawn, and he could see that everyone was already training. Chi Chi was folding laundry, heavy weights on her arms, back, and legs. With the speed she was moving, they didn't seem to be of any bother. Gohan was standing on a thin log on one foot, the log on its edge. Tien was performing the same exercise next to him. When Krillin landed, Gohan lost his concentration and hopped off.

"Hi Krillin!" Gohan called to him, running up to him.

"Hey, Gohan, how goes training?" Krillin asked.

"Real good! Mr. Tien makes it fun!"

"I'm glad. Listen, can you get your mom for me? I need to talk to her," Krilling said. Gohan nodded, and ran to Chi Chi. Tien approached Krillin.

"What's this about, Krillin? Aren't you supposed to be with Yamcha and Piccolo?" Tien asked.

"We were. Piccolo had us practicing his Masenko technique, when he took off back to where we fought Raditz," Krillin explained. The others had joined them, and Krillin continued, "That's where we found the Saiyan, Meys. Hopefully, they're still fighting, or Piccolo's won, and hasn't killed him yet."

"What about Yamcha?" Roshi asked.

"I told him not to get involved unless Piccolo gets in trouble. Listen, Chi Chi, I had an idea. Meys talked about fighting for both Raditz and Goku, and about how there aren't many of his people left. But we're planning on bringing back Goku, right? What if we make a deal with the Saiyans, instead of trying to fight them?" Krillin said.

"A deal?" Chi Chi asked, "What kind of deal?"

"Well, what if we brought back both Goku and Raditz? And in exchange, the Saiyans agree to leave us alone. And if they go back on their agreement, we'll have Goku, with all his training, on our side."

"That's a lot of risk. We could be adding another enemy to fight, when they'll have their toughest warriors with them," Tien pointed out.

"But we won't just have Goku and Raditz, will we?" Chi Chi asked. Krillin looked to her, and nodded. He looked down to Gohan.

"Raditz, Goku, and the girl-" Krillin said.

"Brussa," Chi Chi said. Krillin nodded.

"-and Brussa, they're siblings. And that makes Gohan their nephew, right? They're family. That's all they want back. So let's give it to them. Maybe we can get Brussa to tell Meys to stand down, and we can make our deal."

"When I'd captured Brussa, I was going to bring her to Bulma to keep her contained, but try to reason with her, and maybe introduce her to Gohan. Maybe I could reason with her better than we did with Raditz…" Chi Chi said, "We should try."

"I felt them coming to the area earlier," Tien said, "They don't know how to hide their power levels. It should be easy to find her."

"Let me talk to her first," Chi Chi said, "Help keep her at ease. Nimbus!"

The Flying Nimbus arrived, and Chi Chi climbed on, pulling Gohan up with her. The team took off, following the nearest power level. The battle between Piccolo and Meys ate at the back of their minds, as both warriors flared and waned as they went back and forth.

"Gohan, I know things have been scary lately. I want you to know that I'm very proud of you," Chi Chi said, "I didn't want you to be a warrior like your father."

"I like it," Gohan admitted, "But I also like studying. Maybe I can do both? I'll still be a scientist, just like you want!"

She hugged him tightly, "We're about to meet someone. A little girl, older than you. She's your aunt, her name is Brussa, and she's very scared. You remember Raditz?"

Gohan nodded, "If she's my aunt, that means she's dad's sister, and Raditz is her brother."

"You're such a smart boy! Well, Brussa misses her brother a lot. I hope, if she meets you, she won't be as scared," Chi Chi explained.

"I know, I was listening. We could bring back both Dad and Uncle Raditz. When he kidnapped me, we moved into this family's house. They took care of us. Raditz told them what to do, and could have really hurt them. I don't think he was all bad," Gohan admitted, "He was still a mean bully. But maybe he doesn't have to be."

Chi Chi rubbed Gohan's head, "I hope so, too."

They quickly arrived at what Chi Chi recognized to be Chaztke, a small but growing town in the Eastern District. It was the closest town to her home, and she was familiar with most of the shopkeepers. The open air market was starting to open up.

"Keep back," Chi Chi told the others, "Let me handle this."

She landed before the house she could sense Brussa in. It was a square, wooden structure with two floors, meaning it was built rather than manufactured like most of the Capsule Corp dome homes that made most villages like this. Chi Chi took a breath, and knocked on the front door.

"Who is knocking at this time of the morning?" a man grumbled. The door opened, "Oh! Chi Chi! It's good to see you again!"

"Hello, Dice! I'm sorry to drop in unannounced, but-"

"Are you here for Brussa?"

Chi Chi opened her mouth to ask, but closed it, and nodded.

"We gave her a bed after what happened last night. She's still asleep. I'll get the stove warmed up for breakfast. The girl sure can eat!"

"I believe it," Chi Chi chuckled, "So can my Gohan, if you don't mind?"

"Of course," he nodded, letting them inside. He gestured for them to sit at the dining table, and poured Chi Chi a cup of coffee, before going upstairs. Dice knocked on Bell's door; his daughter answered.

"Is Brussa still here?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's asleep. Messy eater, messy sleeper. She's been having nightmares all night," Bell said.

"I'm not surprised," Dice said, "Listen, her brother's wife, you remember Chi Chi? Buys tuna and pork by the kilo? She just showed up, with their son and wants to talk to her. From everything Meys told me, it's a super touchy situation."

"Yeah. I don't want to ambush her. I'll talk to her," Bell said. Dice nodded, and went back downstairs. Bell sat at the edge of the mat Brussa was sleeping on, and tapped on her leg.

"Mmm. My power...Is maximum…" Brussa mumbled.

"Brussa? Can you wake up for me?"

"Hmm? I smell cooking, mom, is it time for breakfast?" Brussa said, sitting up.

"Almost," Brussa chuckled, "Do you remember where you are?"

Brussa looked around, and then at Bell. She nodded.

"Your bed's super comfy. Thank you...I didn't think I'd sleep…"

"It's just a mat," Bell chuckled, "But you're welcome. Listen, something just happened, and I don't want you to think we're ambushing you with anything."

"I can deal with any ambush!" Brussa declared, holding up her fists, which turned into a stretch and a yawn.

"I bet you can," Bell sat criss-cross, "Brussa, someone showed up looking for you. I want you to know that you're safe here. If you want them to leave, that's what I'll tell them, okay?"

Brussa looked at her, "I mean, if I want them to leave, I can defeat anything your planet can throw at me."

Bell smiled, "Probably. But this is about your brother. Not Raditz, but the other one?"

"Kakarot? What about him?"

"His wife is downstairs, asking to speak with you, with their son, Gohan."

"Kakarot's mate? How does she even know about me?" Brussa asked, standing, "I guess I can talk to her. You Earthlings like to talk a lot."

"Yeah, we're chatterboxes. Listen, I know a lot hurts right now. If you want the conversation to stop at any point, let me know, and we'll have her leave, okay?" Bell said. Brussa nodded, and accompanied Bell downstairs. When they reached the bottom, Brussa was rubbing her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Chi Chi, and immediately went into a fighting stance, her tail bristling and standing on edge.

"You! You're the one who grabbed my tail!" Brussa growled.

Chi Chi stood, and held her hands up, "I'm not here to fight, Brussa."

"That was a cheap trick, but I'm not falling for it this time! What've you done to Meys? I'll rip you apart, Earthling!" Brussa threatened.

"Meys is still alive, but we need your help, Brussa. Please, I need you to listen. It's about your brothers, Brussa," Chi Chi said.

"What do you care? You're working with their killer! And now he's going to kill Meys!"

"We can save him, Brussa. Your brothers, too, they can come back. But I need you to listen," Chi Chi pleaded, "Please. I don't want to hurt you."

"They can come back?" Brussa blinked, relaxing a bit.

"Mmm hmm. Here on Earth, we have something called Dragon Balls," Chi Chi said. Brussa perked up at the mention.

"Yes, the woman told Raditz they could grant wishes. We were going to gather them. Wait, do you mean-"

Chi Chi nodded, "Will you listen?"

Brussa cautiously approached the table, and sat at the table. Dice put a plate of food in front of her, and Brussa started eating. She gestured for Chi Chi to talk.

"The Dragon Balls don't work if Piccolo dies. We need Meys to stop fighting Piccolo, but we don't have much time before one of them wins the fight. We've been training, because Raditz told us more of your people were coming. But we don't have to fight. If you promise not to hurt the Earth or its people, we'll bring back Raditz and Goku," Chi Chi said. Brussa chewed on her food. She gestured to Gohan.

"What's your name?" she asked. Gohan's tail flicked.

"I'm Gohan. I'm your nephew!" Gohan said, "I'm sorry about your brother."

Brussa grinned, "I'm sorry about your dad. I was looking forward to meeting him. Do you want to meet your grandmother?"

"Is she a bully like Raditz?" Gohan asked. Brussa shook her head.

"No, my mother's the kindest Saiyan. She's going to be so happy to meet you."

"Then yeah, I do."

"All right. Let's save Meys, and get my brothers back, then," Brussa picked up the last of the T-Rex steak off her plate, and took a huge bite.


	16. Recovery

Yamcha had seen some fights go on for a while, with lots of yelling, beams, and power-ups, but this had been the longest he'd ever watched. Meys and Piccolo were equals in tenacity and endurance. They'd fought well into dawn. Now, they'd drained through most of their reserves, used all their tricks, and put more craters into the area than there were on the moon. At this point, they were essentially giving each other a break to recharge and go back at it. If Yamcha saw fit, he could end the fight at any time by interfering.

"This is ridiculous," Yamcha said to himself, "Why should we be risking Piccolo and Kami like this? He's almost done for."

Piccolo and Meys charged at each other, punching one another in the face and sending each other back flying again.

"I don't think this could be more absurd."

He sensed a number of powers approaching, and looked up, seeing the others flying in. Roshi and Tien landed next to him.

"Thank goodness. Piccolo has the Saiyan beaten. This fight's done if one of us goes in. Otherwise, they're just going to kill each other," Yamcha said.

"Chi Chi's got it handled. Hopefully, we've solved our Saiyan problem," Krillin said, grinning.

Chi Chi landed next to Piccolo, and hopped off the Nimbus with Gohan, "Are you okay, Piccolo?"

"I'm...I'm at my limit...I don't know where he got this power, but...At least Goku had the courtesy to defeat me, this guy just won't go down," Piccolo admitted.

"Thank you for not killing him," Chi Chi said. Piccolo let out a chuckle.

"Wasn't for lack of trying, I assure you. What's the plan?" Piccolo asked.

"I spoke with the girl. I told her we'll bring back both Goku and Raditz if they promise not to hurt the Earth or its people," Chi Chi said, "That's why we brought her along."

"She's going to talk him down?" Piccolo wiped blood away from his eyes, looking at Meys across the field.

"Mm hmm," Chi Chi said, also looking at them, "For once, we might have a peaceful solution."

They watched as Brussa punched Meys in the face, knocking him out.

"Well, mostly."

XXX

Meys woke with a groan. His everything hurt, but particularly where he'd been punched in the face. He let out a wheeze and a cough, and pushed himself up. He was on a bed, wrapped in bandages. Through the window, he could see Brussa fighting with the bald human in the yard.

He looked at his wrists and his legs; he wasn't restrained. He could easily destroy any barriers the humans may have built. Meys looked around the room; his knife was on the stand next to him. The door opened, and a blonde human let out a startled yelp.

"Oh, you're awake, Mr. Meys! You should really lie down, though, you're really hurt!" she set down a tray with bandages and food on the stand next to him.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, eating the food.

"My, you're just like Goku, aren't you? I'll let the others know you're awake."

"Am I a prisoner?" he asked.

"Oh, heavens, no, you're our guest! Bulma's been bringing lots of guests lately, it's nice to have things nice and lively here for a change! Briefs can get so lost in his own head sometimes, I love him to bits!" she said.

"Of course," Meys said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name?"

"I'm so sorry, you must be so confused! I'm Panchy."

"Thank you, Miss Panchy."

"You're welcome, Mister Meys," Panchy said, giving a bit of a laugh, "Oh, Bulma! Your friend is awake. I like this one, he's polite."

She said something else that Meys didn't hear, but another woman let out a groan of "Mommmm!"

A blue-haired woman entered Meys's room, "Oh, wow, you went through that fast."

Meys picked up the tray and tried to hand it to her. He paused, and said, "If there's any more, I'd like some."

"Yeah, I figured. Mom?"

"Already on it, sweetie!"

"Are you Bulma, then?" Meys asked.

"Uh huh. You're at my place in West City. It was a little touch and go for a little while, but you'll pull through with a little rest. But, from what I remember from Goku, you won't, so who knows how long it'll be," Bulma said.

"Thank you for taking care of me. I don't know what got into Brussa, but you have my vow, I will protect your world from King Piccolo," Meys vowed, "Next time, I'll be better prepared."

"King Piccolo? Where did this come from?" Bulma said with a chuckle.

"I met a human in a village. He told me about your King Piccolo, and how he fought his monsters. When I told him about our attack on your city when we fought him...The way he talked to me...He said I wasn't any different from those monsters he'd fought," Meys said, "I realize that my people have a monster like that, and it turned out poorly for us. And then I thought…How many people was I a Freeza to? A King Piccolo? I won't do that anymore. That's why I decided, I'll defeat King Piccolo, and free your world from his tyranny. Then, I will _never_ hurt another world again."

Bulma sat on a chair, and nodded, "That was a while ago, Meys. That was Piccolo's father. This Piccolo, all he's done is train and be grumpy. In fact, he's downstairs."

"He's what?" Meys stood up.

"Hold on, you're practically naked!" Bulma shoved him back on the bed, "Jeez, do none of you Saiyans have any modesty at all?"

"We...Don't stand on a lot of formality," Meys admitted, wrapping the bedsheet around his legs, "What do you mean he's _downstairs?_"

"Like I said, near as I can tell, Piccolo's not evil, he's just really grumpy. Goku defeated him about five years ago, so he's mad about that. But since then, he hasn't hurt anyone that didn't have it _coming,_" Bulma said, jabbing her finger in one of Meys's bruises.

"OW! Back off, Earthling!"

"He only fought Raditz because he threatened the planet. He's been training with our best warriors to stop _you._ At least Brussa has more sense than you or her brothers, and she listened when Ci Chi talked," Bulma said.

"So she isn't fighting the short one?" Meys pointed to the window.

"No. At first she insisted on staying with you, but she got bored and demanded to start training, so they've been at it for a couple of hours. She's definitely Goku's sister. Food, friends, and fighting," Bulma chuckled, "In that order."

"She gets that from their mother," Meys said.

"Their mother? That means Goku's mother is alive?" Bulma asked. Meys nodded.

"She's the one who's kept our unit together. Kept us from tearing each other apart. Kept us sane. She's kind, patient, wise...And she's an _amazing_ cook," Meys explained. Bulma rolled her eyes.

"I'll bet. The others are out back. C'mon, I'll introduce you. But, first, get dressed," Bulma said, pulling out some shirts and pants from the dresser, "I'll give you some privacy."

Meys put on the clothes, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of cargo pants, and a pair of boots. The boots weren't made of the same flexible, elastic armor material of his normal combat boots, meaning he couldn't flex his feet the same way he was used to. But damn if it wasn't fluffy and comfortable, like having pillows on his feet. Finally, he put his knife on the belt. A feeling of relief struck him, knowing it was still there.

"This planet's greatest danger is making you soft," Meys muttered, "I'll have to be wary."

He tied the boot's cables together in the best knots he knew, and followed Bulma outside, accepting another tray of food from Panchy along the way. The different humans he and Brussa had fought were here, sparring with each other. Meys munched on a sweet and juicy piece of fruit. The core and stem were a bit tough to chew through, but the rest of it was crunchy and delicious.

"This world is a garden," Meys said, looking around.

"It's just West City. It's stinky and loud, but it's home."

"_This_ is a city on Earth?"

"Yup! Biggest in the world!"

"But there's so much green…I'd seen your forests, of course, but..."

"MEYS!" Brussa shouted. She cold-clocked Krillin, sending him to the ground, and declared, "There, I win."

Her victory asserted, Brussa landed in front of Meys, scowling. Meys offered her a piece of fruit. Without losing her gaze, she snatched the fruit from his hand, and threw it in her mouth.

"You're a big lummox, you know that?" Brussa said, chewing on the apple.

"Her mother may be patient and kind, but her father, General Nappa, does not suffer fools," Meys said to Bulma, "How am I a lummox?"

"The Dragon Balls! You didn't bother doing ANY research on them when we arrived! Neither did Raditz, for that matter! They don't _work_ without the Namekian!" Brussa said.

"Wait, _what?_"

"Yeah! If you'd killed Piccolo, we'd lose our chance to bring back Raditz! AND Kakarot!" Brussa said, spitting out the bits of the apple she didn't like, "No wonder we got our tails handed to us! We don't know _anything_ about this place!"

Meys took a deep breath, "I'm sorry."

"Well, now we know more. Mission's not over. We get the Dragon Balls, get Raditz and Kakarot back, then wait for mom, dad, and Vegeta," Brussa said.

"Vegeta…" Meys muttered, and he shook his head, "This isn't over."

"What's not over? You'd better shave that caterpillar before he gets here, or he'll cut your face off this time," Brussa warned.

"Wait, I thought she was the little girl?" Krillin asked, "Why's she lecturing him like he's the kid?"

"Maybe it's a Saiyan thing? Maybe the women are in charge?" Yamcha asked.

"Hmm, I can get that," Krillin shrugged.

Meys raised his voice, "Listen to me! All of you! Even if we bring back Kakarot and Raditz, your world will still be in danger. There are four more Saiyans. Shive should be here any day, he's already late. He'll listen to us, and if he doesn't, we can force him. Gine will only want her sons back. When we bring them back, she won't have any reason to fight you.

"But General Nappa and Prince Vegeta are not like the rest of us. They are High-born warriors, arrogant to an extreme. They won't be pleased to make the trip here and get nothing. Prince Vegeta will want your world to bow to his will. I am not going to destroy worlds any more. I'm done working for that tyrant Lord Freeza."

"What are you talking about, Meys? We'll be a unit again, we'll be safe! We can keep working, and getting stronger!" Brussa said, "Why would you betray us when we need you the most?"

"My pride won't take it any longer, Brussa."

"_We _are your pride!"

"We need _more_, Brussa. More than just survival. Killing the weak, it's beneath a real warrior. Only the strong are worth fighting, and only the wicked are worth destroying. I won't do it anymore. No matter what happens, I'm staying. And Vegeta won't accept that. But I'm going to fight for my right to do that."

"You're _just_ going to get yourself killed!" Brussa hissed.

"Vegeta will fight to take over this planet anyway! Do you think Kakarot is going to accept that? Do you think your mother will let Vegeta have her sons kill each other _again?_ Brussa, it's time we stood up to Prince Vegeta, because if we don't, his arrogance will get _all of us killed_. It'll kill your brothers, again. It'll kill me," Meys said, and then gestured to Gohan, "It'll get _him_ killed. If you side with him, you'll just end up fighting your own family. What will be left, if we don't get stronger, and fight him? If we don't fight _Freeza_? We haven't been 'preparing' for the last twenty years. We've just been drowning. It's time we swam."

Brussa held her arms, not looking at Meys, "I just...Want my family back…"

Meys knelt to stand at her level, "I don't want to lose them, either, Brussa. That's why I need your help. I'm going to fight alongside Kakarot when Vegeta gets here. If you stand with me, so will Raditz. So will your mother. Do you think your father would fight his mate _and_ his daughter? She means too much to him. _You _mean too much to him. I've been with you since the day you were born, Brussa. In that time, I have never stopped fighting for you. But I haven't made the galaxy a better place _for _you. I'm going to do that, starting now."

Brussa took a couple steps back, and turned away from him, thinking. Her tail twitched back and forth as she thought deeply.

"I'm gonna wipe that smug sneer of his face with my _fists!_" Brussa declared, punching her fists together.

"That's what I like to hear!" Meys cheered.

"So, this Vegeta," another voice called out. Meys and Brussa turned, and saw Piccolo standing in the door, "Just how tough is he?"

"He's the strongest of all of us," Brussa said, "My dad's a General, and even he's not half as strong as Vegeta."

"If you were to combine all the power of Raditz, Brussa, myself, Chive, Gine, and Kakarot together, that warrior would still not be as powerful as Vegeta," Meys admitted, "General Nappa might not want to fight his family, but that doesn't mean he'd be on our side. He'll still put Raditz and Kakarot in their place, and he'd waste the rest of you, even me, without thinking too hard about it."

"What about if you add the rest of us?" Tien asked. Meys shook his head.

"I'm afraid, as you are now, he'd still be able to defeat you. Maybe, if all of us worked together _and_ we had General Nappa on our side, we could defeat Vegeta. But with Kakarot already falling behind, and Raditz being dead and not training, the odds aren't looking good for us," Meys explained.

"Well, it's a good thing Goku isn't idle on the other side," Roshi spoke up.

"How can he not be idle? He's dead," Brussa said. Roshi chuckled.

"Silly girl, there's more to existence than this world. What do you think happens when you die?"

"I am a warrior, not a 'silly' girl!" Brussa snarled at him.

"Goku is training, too, in the Otherworld. From what I've been told, it's the greatest training a mortal like us could receive, short of getting the direct blessings of the Gods themselves," Roshi explained, "Beyond the instruction we've received from Kami, beyond the training we're putting ourselves through. Goku's always been the strongest of us. Whatever he learns up there, it's bound to be far and beyond anything we can imagine."

There was a moment of silence as everyone let that prospect sink in. The thought of the blessings and knowledge of the heavens themselves being brought to the mortal warrior, by none other than Goku, their greatest warrior, a Saiyan warrior of the blood of Bardock, was an astounding prospect.

Brussa broke the silence, "Pff. Like I'm gonna let _Kakarot_ surpass me. We'll just have to figure out how to replicate it here on Earth, and then push ourselves even _harder_. You puny Earthlings better not hold back!"

"Like I'm gonna let a twerp like you off that easy!" Yamcha teased.

"Don't think I won't add to your collection of scars!"


	17. Saiyan Communication

_A few days later..._

"So this is Goku's spaceship, huh?" Bulma said, crawling into the ancient pod.

"Yeah, they haven't changed much. Mom says only the Ginyu Force gets the good, new stuff," Brussa said, floating in the air behind her.

"Huh. Almost none of these buttons are labeled…" Bulma said, turning around in the pod and looking around, "Not even the ones that are protected from the elements."

"They're meant to be intuitive, so any species can be trained to use them without having to learn a new language, or even know how to read. I mean, we sent literal babies out into the universe with them. When they do have labels, it's in Saiyan usually anyway," Meys explained.

"Huh? In Saiyan? Why's that?"

Meys shrugged, "It's easy to learn and we conquered most of the Galaxy. Most places still use our alphabet even if our people are gone. Lord Freeza's having it phased out, though. It's a shame, it's one of the few things I liked seeing around. Reminded me of home."

"Dad likes music, and Shive writes poetry in it," Brussa said, "Raditz writes his own technical manuals, and mom writes down recipes. They're _all_ nerds."

"Hey! Brussa! That's not true! Raditz _and_ I write our own technical manuals!" Meys objected.

"You _do?_"

"I was a communications officer for six years before Planet Vegeta was destroyed! How do you think I'm so good with tools?" Meys explained.

"I didn't, I thought you just broke stuff all the time."

"Get over here you little twerp!" Meys growled, grabbing for her tail.

"Wait, so do you know these systems?" Bulma asked, poking her head out. Meys looked over at her, only for Brussa to punch him in the face. When Meys pushed himself off the ground, he shot Brussa an angry look and rubbed at his cheek, which had still been sore from when Brussa had knocked him out.

"Not as well as Shive. He was Prince Vegeta's pilot. Best in the galaxy, if you ask me. I was dedicated to interstellar communications, encryption, software, that sort of thing. Not the most glorious post, which is why it went to a low-class warrior like me. But when the King wants to send the Prince a letter telling him how much of a stepping stone to Godhood he was, you make damn sure nobody else can read it."

"So you couldn't get this thing flying again?"

Meys shrugged, "I mean, with enough time, the right tools, and if I had the technical manuals, I might be able to get its floater working. If we had Shive, then sure."

"We should call him, tell him to get his tail over here," Brussa grumbled.

"It's weird that he hasn't shown up yet," Meys agreed.

"How can we communicate with him?" Bulma asked.

"Our Scouters are linked and built to communicate over Faster-Than-Light scale, and are capable of storing messages. We should have already heard from him, truth be told," Meys said, unfolding his, and tapping through the settings.

"That makes sense," Bulma said, testing some of the equipment on the pod by hitting it. She let out a shriek when a family of squirrels ran out of the pod. Brussa laughed at her.

"What are you even doing here?" Bulma snarled.

"I dunno, I'm bored," Brussa admitted, "I figured Meys would get in a fight again or something. But he decided to come out here with you instead."

"Well, why don't you make yourself useful, and go look for Dragon Balls or something?" Bulma took a Dragon Radar out of her bag and threw it at her.

"Why would I do that?" Brussa asked.

"Think of it as training," Meys shrugged, "Take Gohan. Go see Earth. Beat up bad guys."

"That _does_ sound like fun," Brussa admitted.

"Goku found five of them in about a week when we were kids," Bulma said, "See if you can break his record."

"I'll get five in two days!" Brussa boasted.

"Hey, Bulma, could Kakarot fly when he was Brussa's age?" Meys asked.

"Hmm. No, flying is kind of new for us. Chi Chi and Master Roshi only started flying recently. Not even Goku's done it all that much," Bulma admitted. Meys nodded, and turned to Brussa.

"Take your Scouter. Stay in touch. _Ask_ Gohan's mother if he can come with you. And, as part of your training, you're to wear as much weighted clothing as you can stand, _and_ you're not allowed to fly," Meys instructed.

"You're not the boss of me!"

"You're right, you probably can't beat Kakarot's record without all those restrictions. You'll need all the help you can get," Meys said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll wear weighted clothing _and_ carry Gohan the whole time!" Brussa boasted, coming down from flying and running up the hill, Dragon Ball radar in hand. She left a trail of broken branches and plants in her wake as she ran.

"Are all Saiyan kids that difficult?" Bulma asked.

"I wouldn't know. My brother and I were launched at some planet when we came out of the birthing pod, and took over a planet by the time we were ten, and the rest of the Saiyans found us. That's kind of how Saiyans are raised," Meys said.

"That sounds rough. Just killing, no childhood worth calling your own...Even Goku was a goofy kid that just wanted to play, even if it was training," Bulma said.

"Brussa's had it easier than most, even with everything we've gone through. She might not look it, but she's sharper than her father, and for all her bluster, she has her mother's heart. And she has three 'brothers' that love technology. If she didn't love fighting more, she'd probably be happy taking this pod apart with you," Meys said.

"Speaking of which, I think my dad and I might be able to do something with this thing. Do you mind flying it back to West City for me?" Bulma asked. Meys nodded.

"Do you mind if we make a stop along the way? There's someone I've got to drop in on."

"Yeah, no problem."

Bulma crawled out of the pod, pushing the door shut after her. She climbed up the side of the crater, and un-capsuled a flyer. Meys lifted the pod, grunting; carrying a pod was usually a chore for him, Raditz, or Shive. But Meys could already feel the effects of the few days' of training he'd been doing with the Earthlings, along with his Zenkai boost. Once he had it resting on his shoulders, it didn't bother him too much. He led Bulma into the air, flying over a few mountains into Chatzke village. He landed outside the market, and set down the pod.

"Woah! Did you see that? He can fly!" a kid gawked.

"Yeah, that's Meys! He was here last week, he has a tail, too!" another said. As they walked through the market, Bulma immediately caught her eye on something hanging in a stall, and began shopping. Meys stepped up to Pop's stall. He found it hard to look the Earthling in the eye.

"Oh. Meys. Hello," Pops said.

"Hey, Pops."

"I was worried about you. Glad to see you're okay," Pops said.

"Thanks."

"How did killing King Piccolo go?"

Meys took a deep breath, "It turned out to be a lot more complicated than that. He's...Not who we thought he was. This one isn't his father."

Pops nodded, "And what about you?"

Meys's gaze was on his shoes, "I've got a lot to do before I can say I'm not the person I was."

"Hey, Meys, look at me."

Meys struggled to fight his gaze, but he looked up at Pops.

"You're going to be okay. If you need anything, come back, all right? I'm always willing to lend an ear, but I might put you to work while I do it, okay?" Pops said. Meys nodded.

"You take care of yourself, Pops."

"You, too, Meys. I think Dice still has your cash box, by the way."

Meys nodded, "Thank you."

He walked down a couple of stalls. Dice's stall had gotten bigger, the money from the T-Rex giving him enough to buy more space in the market. He also had an additional couple of freezers.

"Oh, hey, Meys!" Dice smiled at him, "Good to see you back!"

"Yeah. I wanted to thank you and Bell for taking care of Brussa when I took off like that. She was...Upset," Meys said.

"You just lost a brother, and you've got a lot of pressure. It's hard to think straight when you're going through something like that. Trust me, I know. I lost my oldest daughter a couple of years ago. It hit our family hard. You've got to pull together, best you can, Meys."

Meys nodded, "Taking it a day at a time."

"All you can do, brother. Also, I believe _this _is yours," Dice pulled up the cash box. Meys accepted it, and nodded.

"I appreciate it, Dice. We'll be back around soon. Still a lot to prepare for with the family, you know?" Meys said. Dice nodded.

"Stay strong, Meys."

"You, too."

"Oh, Bell was asking after Brussa. She around?"

"No, but she should be available to hang out in a couple of days. I've got her set on a project. I won't see her until it's done," Meys admitted.

"How'd you manage that? If I could get my boy to commit like that…"

"I told her she couldn't pull it off."

"Ah. That would do it. I'll see you around, Meys."

Meys nodded to him, and found Bulma. She was trying on outfits at the tailor's stall.

"Hey, Bulma, how long are you going to be?" Meys asked.

"Just a few minutes!" she called back. The tailor shook her head.

"She's going to be here all day," the tailor whispered. Meys nodded.

"I'm going to take the pod back to West City. Do you want me to come back around for you?"

"I'll be fine!"

Released from the obligations of human-sitting, Meys put the cash box in the pod, picked it up, and flew to West City. When he arrived, he called for Dr. Briefs.

"Ah, Meys, good to see you again. I see you brought the spaceship! Excellent! I've been hoping to take a look at it!" Dr. Briefs said.

"I was hoping to get the com system working. What's the most advanced computer your have? I'd like to try to contact my comrade, Shive, without giving away our position, and I think the pod's communication system would be more than enough to talk to him, but I'm not familiar with your encryption technology," Meys said.

"Oh, I have just the thing! Bring the pod over here, my boy, and we'll get started!" Dr. Briefs said, leading Meys into one of the labs. Within a few hours of working, they had the communication suite removed and integrated with one of the computers Dr. Briefs provided. Meys was astounded at the complexity and efficiency of the Earth technology; it wasn't as hardy as Freeza tech, but it was above and beyond what he expected from Earthlings.

Meys adjusted the settings on their communications device, and he pinged Shive.

"Meys to Shive. Come in, Shive, can you read me? Please provide mission report."

There was a pause. Silence. Meys was about to ask if they'd tested it properly when he received a reply.

"Mission successful. Good to hear your voice, Meys."

"Shive! Where are you? We need you on-"

"Don't report your location. Things have changed out here, Meys. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go dark. I really don't want to, but I don't have a choice. Don't contact the others until they arrive, either. Keep coms-dark."

Meys winced, and tried to not to destroy the microphone in his hand.

"I read you. Stay safe out there, Shive. Meys, out."

Meys set the microphone down, and clenched his fists, fighting the urge to scream and destroy things around him.

"There's a beach that way, Meys, if you need some space," Dr. Briefs said. Meys nodded, and flew off, storming past Bulma, who had just arrived.

"What's gotten into him?" Bulma asked.

"He got in contact with his Saiyan friend, Shive. It wasn't good news," Dr. Briefs said, meddling with the machine, "He said he needed to keep communications down, but didn't say why."

Bulma set down the bags of clothes she'd bought from the tailor, "Wait, if I'm reading this correctly…"

"You see it, too? I thought the same thing while he was making the call."

Dr. Briefs changed views on the computer.

"Why is he keeping communications blackout if he's just orbiting Mars?" Bulma asked.


	18. Long Distance Call

_Months Later_

"So this is what it felt like on Planet Vegeta, huh?" Brussa asked, hopping up and down, amused by the shortened jumps. It had taken several months, but Dr. Briefs and Bulma had been hard at work reverse-engineering the Saiyan technology. With it, they had been able to develop a hardy training chamber for the Saiyans, which could alter the gravity on command, at Meys's request for the possible ship to be more comfortable for his people. Brussa started to hop from panel to panel, timing each jump perfectly already, "Not that different from our quarters."

"WOAH!" Gohan fell to the ground immediately upon entering the chamber, "I'm...So heavy!"

"Pff, c'mon, Gohan, this should be natural. After we found all those Dragon Balls so quickly, I'd expect you to be stronger than that!"

"He's only five, don't be so hard on him," Chi Chi said. Brussa let out a deferring grunt.

"Well, we used the same kind of technology to replicate Planet Vegeta as best as we can, including the rays of its red sun. Every little bit to prevent ourselves from getting weak," Meys said, pulling Gohan off the floor, and helping him to his feet.

"C'mon, Gohan, walk to me! You can do it! You're the grandson of the great Gine!" Brussa cheered, and Gohan took a determined look, pushing himself step by step to walk to Brussa. It took him a few moments, but he managed to do it.

"Good job, Gohan!" Chi Chi applauded, and she took a step inside, and almost fell over, herself. Meys managed to catch her before she hit the ground, "Wow, this is more than expected! Whew! Are you sure this is safe for Gohan?"

"Of course it is! Gohan's a Saiyan, just like me," Brussa pounded her chest, "I sleep in gravity like this! I used to, anyway. He can learn to handle it!"

Chi Chi found her balance, "Well, it's not that different from weight training. I'll master it, too."

"That's the spirit!" Brussa cheered, taking another hop. Gohan started walking toward her, flexing his arms as he walked.

"This is wonderful. Thank you, Bulma, Dr. Briefs," Meys said.

"If you say so. I think you're weird," Bulma said, "But I never understood all that training stuff, anyway. So, knock yourselves out. Just don't get hurt, okay?"

"No promises!" Brussa said, "I'm gonna be the toughest ever! No pains, no gains!"

"Yeah!" Gohan agreed, taking another distressed step towards his aunt.

"We'll sort something out," Chi Chi rolled her eyes, "Gohan, do a lap around, and then we'll do some more studying, okay?"

"Okay, mom!" Gohan agreed.

"Aw, just one? Make it two!" Brussa challenged.

"_One._"

"Okay, one, but he makes it starting from here!" Brussa pointed to where she was standing. Chi Chi rolled her eyes, but did not object. Taking this as validation, Brussa continued to cheer on Gohan. Chi Chi walked around the outer edge of the chamber, while Meys started in on some lifts.

"When you're done, I'm taking a turn," Piccolo declared.

"All right, everyone gets a turn in the gravity chamber," Dr. Briefs said, shooing the various warriors away, "I've got to shut the door or it could explode from the pressure differentiation!"

"Yeah, buzz off!" Brussa stuck her tongue out at them.

"Buzz off!" Gohan imitated.

"Gohan! Be nice! What's gotten into you?" Chi Chi snapped.

"Sorry, Mom!"

They spent about an hour in the gravity chamber while Gohan and Chi Chi made their lap. When it was completed, over Brussa's objections for Gohan to do another, Chi Chi ushered Gohan out.

"Come on, Brussa, let's go," Chi Chi said.

"I want to train with Mr. Piccolo," Brussa said.

"I've got dinner almost ready," she pointed out. Brussa was at her side in an instant.

"No way I'm missing out on Chi Chi's cooking," Meys said, following them out of the chamber. Piccolo practically dragged Yamcha into the chamber with him. The Dragon Team had made the Capsule Corp compound their effective training grounds, whenever they weren't training with Kami or out doing something specific. Right now, Tien and Chiaotzu were receiving instruction from Kami and Mr. Popo. Roshi and Krillin were at Kame House, trying to find a way to push the limits of Roshi's Enhanced form. Piccolo had slowly warmed up to working with the humans, especially since Chi Chi had landed a defiant punch on him.

In the dining room, Gohan and Brussa sat at the table. Chi Chi put books in front of each of them. Brussa held up hers, and gave Chi Chi a look.

"What's this?"

"Meys told me how smart you actually are, so _you're_ studying, too, young lady," Chi Chi said, "I expect you to keep up with Gohan, all right? Today you're studying atoms."

"Aww, come on, that's baby stuff!"

"Then it won't be too hard, will it?" Chi Chi said. Brussa had no argument, but glared at Meys.

"This is _your_ fault."

Meys gave her a shrug, and tapped his forehead, "A warrior should use every weapon at her disposal. That especially includes her mind."

With a grumble, she opened the book to the same page as Gohan, "You'd _better_ keep up with me. I'm not slowing down for you."

"You're on!"

Meys chuckled, and started to help Chi Chi with dinner. It had become a platonic ritual for them to cook up a storm. Chi Chi was a master of it, and was a great teacher for Meys. Brussa had even stopped complaining about his cooking. They'd gotten quick at it, and had become quite the team. With just a few motions, they filled plates and bowls with rice, dumplings, piles of vegetables, and strips of meat.

"Oh, wow, amazing job again, guys!" Yamcha complimented, wiping sweat away with a towel.

"Nope! Do _not_ stink up my kitchen! Shower, now!" Chi Chi pointed. With a yelp, Yamcha darted off to obey. Piccolo did nothing more than take a bottle of water from the fridge, and leave. A few minutes later, Yamcha came back, freshly washed and in a change of clothes.

"Hitting the books, too, huh, Brussa?" Yamcha asked, taking a seat.

"More than you've ever read!" Brussa huffed.

"Why is everything a competition with you?"

"Because I _win_ them_._"

"Right," Yamcha rolled his eyes, "I've got to say, ever since I started using weighted clothing and bats for my baseball games, it's been harder to make home runs like usual. I thought it would make things harder, but attendance is actually up! And, I'm still making gains in my training. Meys, you should join the team, you'd like baseball!"

"You've mentioned it before, but I still don't understand," Meys admitted.

"How about, after dinner, I'll get some equipment, and we'll hit some home runs in the park? I'll teach you the rules!" Yamcha offered.

"Never thought of using games to train."

"Oh, mom, can I play, too?" Gohan asked.

"When you've finished your homework," Chi Chi said.

"Brussa, we gotta hurry!" Gohan declared, writing on his paper furiously.

"Huh?" Brussa looked around.

"I said we gotta hurry so we can play baseball with Yamcha!"

"Where are you?" Brussa stood, still looking around.

"What? I'm right next to you, Brussa!" Gohan said.

"Well, if you're Raditz, tell me something only Raditz would know," Brussa said, crossing her arms, "And where _are_ you?"

"You like to steal Scouters from other teams to hack into their feeds, so you can spy on warriors you think are cute when they're out on the field," Raditz said, his hand on King Kai's back.

"RADITZ?! How did you find out about that?" Brussa shrieked, her tail bushing out and her face turning pink.

"I'm the one who _taught you how to do that,_" Raditz pointed out.

"Brussa, what's going on?" Chi Chi asked.

"Uh...I think I'm talking to my brother? Hold on," Brussa said, "Raditz, how are you talking to me?"

"I'm at King Kai's with Kakarot. Listen, Brussa, I know you and Meys have been on Earth for a few months now, but you need to listen to me: Kakarot's friends aren't enemies."

"I know."

"...What?"

"We're just about to have dinner. Miss Chi Chi has cooked up a storm. You'd like her! She's almost as good of a cook as mom!" Brussa said. Chi Chi harrumphed.

"Oh. Good. Because Kakarot and I are going to train together with King Kai. So when his friends get the Dragon Balls-"

"We already have them! We're waiting for mom and the others to get close, and then we're gonna bring _both_ of you back! You're gonna love Earth! The food here is great! And the people can actually be tough, did you know that? I mean, not THAT tough, but still pretty good!" Brussa bragged.

"I can broadcast to more people," King Kai said, "And you can both talk."

"Oh! Can you find all my friends?" Goku asked, putting his hand on King Kai's back, "Hi everybody!"

Everyone stood still at the sound of Goku's voice in their head.

"...Goku?" Chi Chi started to cry.

"Dad?" Gohan clutched his mom's hand.

"Yup! I just got to King Kai's place! His training's pretty intense!" Goku said.

"Goku, it's so good to hear your voice!" Chi Chi said.

"Yours, too, Chi Chi. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I haven't thought about you and Gohan. I want you to know, I love you very much, and I'll see you in a couple of months, okay?" Goku assured them.

"All right, Goku. Do your best, all right?"

"You bet!"

"HI KAKAROT I'M YOUR SISTER BRUSSA IT'S NEAT TO TALK TO YOU!" Brussa barked out as quickly as she could.

"Hah! It's good to talk to you, too, Brussa! Are you taking care of Gohan and Chi Chi for me?" Goku asked.

"UH HUH, MEYS IS HERE TOO, HE HELPS."

"You don't have to shout, Brussa," Raditz said.

"I'M NOT SHOUTING!"

"Well, I'm sure grateful to you, too, Meys," Goku said.

"Your family has been extraordinarily kind to me, Kakarot. It's been an honor getting to know them and training with them. You have a wonderful family. I'm sorry everything has turned out this way," Meys said.

"Yeah, well, not much we can do about it now. I'm glad to know the Earth is in good hands until we get back," Goku said.

"When this is all over, we're having a rematch, Goku," Piccolo said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Goku chuckled.

"To all of you, I'm sorry for all the suffering I've caused. This should be a time of reunion and joy, and I was too short-sighted to realize that," Raditz admitted, "I'll find a way to make it up to all of you, I promise. And Brussa? I'm proud of you."

Brussa just started to cry, and blubbered out a 'Thank you'.

"Hey, Goku? Kick butt up there! We're doing our best down here!" Yamcha said.

"Roshi and I are working on something you won't see coming!" Krillin added.

"Hey, Raditz?" Tien said.

"Yes, uh...Kakarot, which one is that?"

"That's Tienshinhan. Hi, Tien!"

"Hey, Goku. Raditz, I just want to say, good on you realizing you made a mistake. Your brother's a good man. He helped me change my ways, too. It's worth it. It really is."

"I believe you. We'll get through this together. The Earth will be safe, so long as we're together," Raditz said.

"I REALLY WANT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON KAKAROT WE'LL SEE YOU SOON OKAY?" Brussa shouted.

"I'm looking forward to it. We've got to get back to training now, okay?"

"Bye, daddy!" Gohan waved to the sky.

"I'll see you soon, Goku! I love you!

"OKAY BYE KAKAROT BYE RADITZ I LOVE YOU!"

Everyone made their good-byes to Goku. Meys looked down to the stove.

"The fish is burning!" he yelped, pulling it off the stove.

"That went well!" Brussa said, wiping her face and sitting back at the table.

Yamcha chuckled, "You're something else, girl."

"I've _eaten_ bigger people than you," she warned.


	19. Go Beyond

"Mr. Piccolo? Can I ask for your help with something?" Brussa asked. Piccolo had taken some time to meditate alone in the wilderness, away from the noise of the city and the badgering of the humans and Saiyans. He'd found a waterfall in lucious, green plains, miles away from the nearest person. The nearest creatures were wildlife. It was a peaceful, secluded place, perfect for solitary meditation.

Unfortunately for him, Brussa found him anyway.

"What is it?" Piccolo grumbled.

"Well, Saiyans, when they look at the full moon, can turn into a giant ape form called the Oozaru. I've never done it before. It's super dangerous, and High-Class warriors, like my father, can control themselves while transformed. But when we fought you, Chi Chi grabbed my tail, and it paralyzed me. That's only supposed to happen to Low-Class warriors. I want to see if I can learn to resist my tail being grabbed, and see if I can control myself as an Oozaru, so my dad, when he gets here, doesn't think I'm Low-Class," Brussa explained, showing the projector that had been pulled from Kakarot's pod.

"No," Piccolo said. Brussa's tail bristled.

"But why?"

"I won't do this just so you can impress your dad. We're probably going to have to fight him, not make him tell you how proud he is. It's a waste of time."

"But the Oozaru is REALLY powerful! We might need it, and I don't want to hurt anyone that doesn't have it coming!" Brussa pleaded.

"You'd better serve us by cutting your tail off entirely and forgetting about it," Piccolo said.

Brussa let out a literal growl, "You're better off cutting off your antennae! Or your head! My tail is part of me, and I don't want it to be a weakness! The Oozaru is a power we can't afford to ignore, especially if we're going to fight Freeza, too! I've got to master it, Piccolo!"

Piccolo let out a single, satisfied chuckle, "That's what I wanted to hear."

"Huh?"

"I won't help you to impress your father. But overcoming your weaknesses, and mastering an ability, _that_ is the thinking of a warrior. I'll help you with _that,_ but not to appease someone's ego," Piccolo explained, switching from his floating meditation to standing next to her, "Are you ready to get started? We'll begin with your tail."

Brussa nodded, setting the projector down, "How do you want to do this?"

"Let's begin with preventing people from grabbing your tail to begin with. I want to see how good you are at dodging."

XXX

Yamcha threw one ball, spun on the pitcher's mound, and threw the second ball in his other hand. Meys struck the first ball with a hearty swing, causing it to explode on the bat, but the second impacted him in the sternum, sending him to the ground.

"Ooh, tough break!" Yamcha said, "You all right?"

Meys got back on his feet, picking up the ball that struck him. Its wrapping had come apart, and half exploded from the impact. He threw it on the ground, and patted the dirt with his bat.

"Hit me."

"All right, here goes!" Yamcha picked up a couple more baseballs, and threw them the same way. Meys watched them approach, and shifted his stance. Instead of going all in on the first ball, he timed it so the bat would strike both of them, one at a time, before his full swing was done. In the field, Gohan jumped up into the air and caught one, but let out a groan when he missed the second.

"There you go!" Yamcha cheered, "All right, I'm gonna throw a curveball at you this time. Trust me, this won't be so easy."

Yamcha was right; it struck Meys in the ribs after he misjudged where the ball would go; it had changed direction mid-flight. He lurched over, clutching his side, but stood straight without another word. Yamcha let out a chuckle, and threw another; Meys would get the hang of it soon enough.

XXX

"All right, Krillin, show me what you've got!" Roshi commanded. Krillin put his hands out, and took a deep breath. Concentrating his power and his breath, Krillin's height and overall size increased, his muscle mass bulking out, until he was almost the size of an ordinary human.

"Good! Good!" Master Roshi tapped at Krillin's muscles with his new staff, "When you're like this, your _Ki_ is flowing at its maximum capacity. Any attacks you make like this will be as powerful as you can muster! You've finally got it, boy!"

Krillina allowed himself to float in the air, and he turned about in place.

"Now the challenge is to be able to move like normal," Krillin said.

"Yup! That's why I've asked for a little bit of help. Come on out," Roshi called out. Yamcha, Meys, Brussa, and Gohan stepped out of Kame House, each of them holding baseballs. They grinned at Krillin with malicious smiles. The sun reflected off of Roshi's sunglasses.

"Play ball."

XXX

Tien was sent back by the kick. His arms were smoking from the blow, and it was starting to go numb. He blew away the smoke, and reversed his stance as Chi Chi came at him, kicking high and forcing him to remain on the defensive. Each strike came with a sparkle of Ki, each potential blow being extra painful, but Chi Chi had shown an amazing aptitude at transferring her Ki around her body. Even blocking a strike could end up sending Tien reeling.

He jumped back as Chi Chi's foot came uncomfortably close to his face. To his surprise, she jumped back away from him. For a split second, he thought she was disengaging, but to his surprise, she fired a pair of blasts from her feet. Tien charged Ki into his hands to deflect them, only for Chi Chi to launch herself straight at him, landing both of her feet on his chest. Once she had the momentum, she began kicking at him again and again.

Tien reached out to grab her legs and try to swing her off, but she stopped him by kicking him in the face, the additional Ki strike dazing him. Tien snapped out of the daze, found an ounce of concentration, and used the Four Witches, a pair of arms coming out of his back. With the additional limbs, he was able to concentrate on both attack and defense.

As Tien and Chi Chi went back and forth, Kami watched them duel on the Lookout. He had been astounded by their progress; he didn't believe that such gains were possible without the training by King Kai. He had watched this world for so long, and never had Earth produced such capable warriors.

"Something is bothering you, Kami," Mr. Popo observed.

"Observant as always."

"What is on your mind?"

"It is my students. The arrival of the Saiyans have pushed them to new heights, capabilities this world has not seen since before my time. Mr. Popo, you have long been the attendant to the Lookout. Has this world ever had warriors like this before?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. Your predecessor was the only Guardian of Earth I had ever served, and if there were, he never told me about them. He kept many secrets to protect the Earth. Even from you and I, I'm afraid," Popo admitted.

"I see," Kami let out a sigh, watching as Tien finally managed to put Chi Chi on the defensive by combining all six of his limbs and matching her in ferocity and speed, trying to work around his bulk.

"We are reliant upon them, I fear, from this point on. Until King Piccolo returned, there was no power capable of truly endangering the world. The way my predecessor and I operated is no longer viable, I fear. Earth will be thrust into a future it may not fully understand. I have done what I can to help them repair from my mistakes. But they are moving faster than I can guide them," Kami lamented. Chi Chi had switched styles, trying to land hits with her fists, but Tien's size and speed were becoming too much for her; she'd put in too much power into the duel too soon, too quickly.

"What do you suggest?" Popo asked.

"I may have to consider a successor," Kami admitted, his gaze on Tien, "But there are tests for them ahead of us. And I have so much more about myself and Piccolo to learn before I am ready to move on. There were things my predecessor did not tell me. I thought he was protecting me, and protecting the Earth."

Tien's own power started to tank, giving Chi Chi the chance to turn the match back on him. With a series of small Ki blasts to his face, Tien was sent onto his back. Chi Chi walked over to him and offered her hand, helping him to his feet.

"But he was wrong to hold secrets to his grave. I will not make those same mistakes. Tienshinhan. I would like to speak with you in private," Kami called out. Tien and Chi Chi both bowed to him.

"Of course, Master Kami," Tien said, following him deeper into the lookout. When they had arrived at Kami's chambers, Kami gestured for Tien to begin preparing tea, which Tien did diligently. They sat in silence, sipping until they had both relaxed.

"As you know, I have been the guardian of Earth for several centuries. I have lived well beyond what I had every reason to expect. I had expected to pass on the position. I had once believed Goku may have been the candidate, but I am now certain he does not have the temperament for it, despite his power. I was prepared to die to fix my mistakes, and leave secrets untold to my successor, as my teacher had. You, however, Tienshinhan, I believe would be better suited to the role," Kami said. Tien bowed.

"Thank you, Master Kami. I am honored to be considered, but-"

"I am not leaving my post yet," Kami held up his hand, "You are far and above more powerful than I have ever achieved, or seen any but your companions reach. I will not simply hand my staff over to you, and expect you to fill in the role. I will give you the training I did, and beyond, until I know that you are ready. If I can, I will even teach you how to construct and maintain the Dragon Balls. And there are secrets I will reveal to you over time.

"You can, of course, refuse. It is not an easy future. But of all the people I have observed, I believe you are the best successor," Kami explained. Tien nodded.

"I would be honored to be your apprentice."

"I am pleased to hear that, Tien. First, I wish to tell you about my time in Yunzabit Heights, long before I became the Guardian of Earth…"


	20. Saiyan Rage

_Weeks Later..._

"They're early…"

"Did you say something, King Kai?" Goku asked, doing hand-stand pushups with Raditz, his hands pressed against Raditz while upside down, pushing himself up while Raditz did squats while holding up his brother.

"The Saiyans are going to arrive on Earth soon. We need to get you alive, right now. We don't have time! Jump back onto Snake Way, right now!" King Kai commanded. The brothers let out a yelp, collapsing from their formation, and they scrambled to jump back onto the pathway.

"Kami! Kami, are you there?"

"Yes, King Kai, what is it?" Kami asked.

"Get the Dragon Balls, and wish back Goku and Raditz, immediately! The Saiyans are going to be on Earth in a matter of hours! You have to warn the others!" King Kai said frantically.

"I will contact the Dragon Warriors, then. Thank you for the warning, King Kai. I hope our preparations will have been enough," Kami said, "Tienshinhan, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Kami?"

"Are you at Capsule Corp with the others?"

"Some of us, yes. Meys took Brussa for some training, and Piccolo is teaching Yamcha to meditate out in the mountains."

"The Saiyans are arriving soon. Do you have the Dragon Balls gathered? You need to make the wish."

"All right, we're on it. I'll let the others know as soon as I can."

XXX

_East City_

The pods crashed through buildings, and left two craters in the street. A third struck the foundation of a skyscraper, causing it to crumble, break, and fall, slamming into the building next to it. This building, too, fell over inward to where it had been struck, leaving tons upon tons of rubble in the middle of the city.

In the craters, Nappa and Vegeta stepped out of their pods, and looked around.

"Looks like Gine had a rough landing," Vegeta remarked. Nappa started walking towards her landing zone, when the buildings exploded for a second time, sending debris into a crowd of gawking onlookers.

"Damn you, Namekian! Where are you?" Gine pressed furiously at her scouter.

"Don't worry, he'll show up," Nappa assured her.

"There. There's a lot more higher power levels in that direction," Gine said, turning west.

"We'll find the Namekian in time. Let's stay focused on the Dragon Balls," Nappa rest his hand on her shoulder. Gine grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"Damn your Dragon Balls! I'm killing that freak for laying a _hand_ on my children!" she snarled, and Gine started to fly off. Nappa reached out and grabbed her foot.

"We have a mission! Stay focused!" Nappa commanded. Gine started to kick Nappa in the face, leaving him with a bloody nose.

"Let her go, Nappa," Vegeta commanded, "I'm curious to see what she's capable of when she lets go anyway."

Nappa hesitated, but Gine didn't leave him much of a choice when she kicked his fingers, breaking his grasp. Nappa wiped the blood away from his face as he watched her go.

"Damn woman...The time we need her to actually help, she decides to finally act like a Saiyan," Nappa grumbled.

"That's what you get for laying with the Lower Class, Nappa. Now, let's find those Dragon Balls," Vegeta commanded. Nappa hesitated, but followed Vegeta into the air, flipping through his Scouter settings in an attempt to pinpoint the orbs. They left their pods in the city, along with a gawking crowd of humans.

XXX

Yamcha and Piccolo pushed themselves to fly; the power signatures were phenomenal, over twice any of the Dragon Team had managed to achieve.

"Do you think we stand a chance?" Yamcha asked, "I knew these guys were powerful, but…"

"We don't have a choice," Piccolo said, "We'll have to take them on as a team."

"Meys said that Vegeta was the most powerful, then Nappa, and then Goku's mom, right?" Yamcha said, looking ahead as they flew, "I can tell which one Vegeta is...But one's flying right towards us, and it's only getting more powerful...Do you think that's Nappa?"

Piccolo scowled, and shook his head, "No, Yamcha. I don't."

XXX

Brussa kicked a rock, looking up at the black sky.

"Ugh. I bet that's the Dragon. I wanted to make the wish! I wanted to see the _dragon!_ They're _my_ brothers, after all! We've been standing out here for hours, Meys. What's going on?"

"You feel them?" Meys asked. He was still wearing the mechanic's outfit he wore when he was working with Bulma and Dr. Briefs at Capsule Corp. He looked like he was going to work, rather than going to fight.

"What, Vegeta and Nappa? Yeah, how could I _not_? I know how powerful they are," Brussa said. She looked up at the sky again, towards where her father was flying. She didn't want to admit it, but since learning how to sense energy, this was the first time she'd actually _felt_ the scale of her father's power. It was something beyond, something terrifying. And Vegeta's…Brussa wasn't about to let Meys know she was intimidated, of course.

To her surprise, Meys started to power up, swirling his energy around him, and spiking as high as he could. Rocks hovered in the air, and the ground split beneath him. Brussa took a few steps back from him; she knew Meys had gotten stronger, but this powerful wave of fear and anger was surprising.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Giving them something they can't ignore."

XXX

It was hard to differentiate the different power signatures; it quickly seemed like that they were going to have to get creative to find them.

"Vegeta!" Nappa gasped, "Did you see that spike of power?"

"I did," Vegeta said.

"Four thousand two hundred! That's more than Raditz! Hell, that's more than I had when I was younger…" Nappa said, "Should we check it out?"

"Better than flying in circles like we have been. Maybe it's one of the locals. We'll make them tell us about the Dragon Balls," Vegeta said, changing direction towards the power source.

"Brussa?" Nappa called out, "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be offworld."

She couldn't help but smile at him, "We left Shive to handle it. I came here to crack skulls! It was boring there anyway."

"That's no reason to leave your post. I'm disappointed in you," he said. Instead, she cracked her neck.

"Yeah? Wait until you see how much more powerful I am! You saw Meys, right? I'm _still_ a step above him!" she gestured to him. Nappa couldn't help but smile back at her.

"That's my girl."

"I was holding back," Meys declared, catching everyone's attention.

"First you grow that abominable thing back, and now you're addressing me while wearing those rags? Where is your armor?" Vegeta demanded.

"Didn't wear it. Vegeta, we need to talk," Meys said, stepping towards him.

"No, _you_ need to _obey._ I am your Prince. You will get your armor back, and you'll help us find the Dragon Balls. Then we'll lay waste to this planet, and maybe get paid for this field trip of yours," Vegeta grumbled.

"What? No! Father, we can't destroy the Earth! I like it here, I want to stay!" Brussa said.

"We _are_ going to stay," Meys said, "I'm not doing Freeza's bidding anymore. I'm done destroying worlds. I'm done fighting for someone else's pocket cash, and I'm done being treated like I'm trash. What we do, Vegeta, it's _beneath_ us. What we do, it's not victory. It's not even slaughter. It's pitiful, and you know it. Killing Freeza, even if you could, isn't going to change that."

"What do you know? Only a few months here, and this planet has made you soft," Vegeta sneered.

"A few months here and I've achieved what most Saiyans could have only dreamed of. The people here know techniques and training that can launch us forward in our power. Their technology is greater than we thought it was, and the world itself is a garden. Give Earth a chance, and you'll understand what I've learned: Our pride is _above_ slaughter and mercenary work. We can have something worth fighting _for_," Meys pleaded.

"You're boring me, Meys, and this planet is, too. This is your last chance to go and get your armor, and find me those Dragon Balls!" the Prince snarled.

"You won't find the Dragon Balls so long as this world is defended, Vegeta. You aren't worthy. You should leave, before anyone gets hurt," Meys warned.

"Or what? You're still nothing to me, Meys. I'll do as I please, and I'll kill anyone who stands in my way," Vegeta said.

"Then you'll be a prince of corpses."

"So be it."

"Ugh. Arrogant fool. Do you want me to put him in his place, Vegeta?" Nappa asked.

Vegeta shook his head, "He's made his choice. Now he'll die with it."

Vegeta charged at Meys, who dodged low, letting Vegeta fly over him, and he punched up, striking Vegeta in the sternum. Vegeta, however, didn't flinch, and instead reached down and grabbed Meys, slamming him into the ground, flying up, and then slamming him again. Meys kept landing punches on Vegeta, but he may as well have been doing nothing at all. After a few rounds of this, Vegeta got annoyed of being punched in the face, and he launched Meys into the air.

"Vegeta, stop!" Brussa called out, starting to fly at him. Nappa grabbed her tail.

"Oh no you don't. You're in big trouble!" Nappa hissed. Instead of her freezing up like she normally would, Brussa gave her father a flare, a look he'd seen a short while ago when Gine took off. With Nappa still holding her tail, Brussa flew around and started to bash her father in the face with her legs. She charged a Ki blast and followed through with it, blinding him and causing him to cough. Brussa flew up towards Vegeta while Nappa caught his breath.

"Damn you, girl!" he growled.

Brussa, however, was much too late. Vegeta charged a Garlick Gun and fired, striking Meys full-on. He struck the ground in a smoking heap. Brussa charged over to him.

"Meys! Meys, talk to me! We can still fight them, come on!" Brussa pleaded.

Meys groaned, and pushed himself up off the ground, managing to stand up. His tail flicked back and forth defiantly.

"Vegeta...You're...Pathetic. All that power...And all you do is hurt. But I am a true Saiyan Warrior," Meys told him, and he took a deep breath, "You aren't going to put me down that easily. You'll never defeat the true nature of the Saiyan spirit."

"Brussa! If you know what's good for you, you'll knock him out right now!" Nappa told her.

"If we can hold out long enough for the others, we can win this," Brussa said, "Think you can delay Vegeta?"

"No," Meys admitted, "You should run."

"Pff. As if. But Vegeta's stronger than both of us…"

"Take your father. I'll take Vegeta," Meys said, "I'll find a way."

"Meys!" she objected, but it was too late; he was already charging at Vegeta.

XXX

Piccolo had sensed her arrival, but clearly, she hadn't been able to differentiate between the two warriors. Gine crashed into Yamcha midflight, and before he even knew what was happening, the Saiyan was already pummelling him. Yamcha finally managed to get hi arms up to block the strikes, but his face was already starting to bleed, and he started to wheeze when she kicked him in the chest.

Piccolo extended his arms, grabbing Gine by the armor, and pulled her off of Yamcha. They had expected the Saiyans to be powerful, but in a flash of activity, Gine, supposedly the weakest of the three, had already taken Yamcha out of the fight.

Once she realized she was held by her target, she let out a snarl, and grabbed Piccolo's hand and slammed him into the ground. Piccolo tried to pull his arm back, but Gine came with it, and she landed a punch on him that sent him into the ground.

"YOU! KILLED! MY! SONS!" Gine started to pound him into the ground by flying up and slamming into his chest.

"Ma! Sen! Ko!" Piccolo shouted between the slams, and his attack sent Gine flying out of the hole she'd pummelled him into. Piccolo climbed out; that had hurt like hell.

"You okay, Piccolo?" Yamcha managed to gasp.

"Yeah...I'm still in one piece," Piccolo said.

"I'm thinking maybe...Maybe this isn't one we can do on our own," Yamcha admitted.

"Go, Yamcha. There's no reason for you to stay. She's after me, and me alone," Piccolo said.

"No way. We're a team, and that's the only way we're going to beat these Saiyans, even if this one is Goku's mom. I'm not letting you die here," Yamcha vowed. Piccolo grinned and nodded to him.

Gine came at Piccolo again, blasting ahead of her as she did. Piccolo dodged the peppering attacks, though a few still managed to strike her.

"Gine! You need to listen to me!" Yamcha called out, "You don't want to do this!"

Gine increased the number of shots, effectively blinding Piccolo from the barrage, allowing her to strike a Broiler on his chest. Yamcha interrupted the attack, minimizing the damage, by tackling her.

"Piccolo was only defending the Earth! We all were! We had to stop Raditz!" Yamcha said.

"YOU DON'T GET TO SAY HIS NAME!" Gine punched Yamcha in the face and sending him back. Piccolo shot her in the back with a Ki blast. Yamcha flew back, expecting Gine to follow through, but instead, she turned to Piccolo and started blasting.

"I was there! I saw what happened!" Yamcha shouted.

"Then you die, too!" Gine spared a blast for Yamcha, which was more than he bargained for; her power was still increasing with her rage. Yamcha wiped the blood away from his face, and shuddered away the pain. Piccolo and Gine were now exchanging blows above him; he couldn't take another shot like that, but Piccolo wasn't going to last very long. Yamcha put his hands up to the sky.

"Should have done this with the others…" he admitted, "Same damn mistake a third time in a row...KA! ME! HA! ME!"

Piccolo heard the call, and kicked himself off Gine, putting distance between himself and the Saiyan woman.

"HAH!" Yamcha let out the attack, striking Gine full-on in the attack.

To their horror, Gine flew _through _the beam instead, and landed a strike that went through Piccolo's abdomen.

"When you get to hell, Bardock will be waiting to be your torturer," Gine hissed at him, and then blasted him with Ki. Yamcha scrambled over to Piccolo, and rummaged through his clothes. He had a Senzu! He could give it to him, he was-

"Run…" Piccolo wheezed, "Yamcha...I'm gone…"

"No, I can…" Yamcha looked down at Piccolo's body; there was a hole where his stomach should be; there wasn't any helping it.

"No...Piccolo...Please…" Yamcha pleaded. Piccolo reached up, rest his hand on Yamcha's head, and then it fell. A bit of spit landed on Piccolo's face. Gine was standing over them.

"It's not enough, for what you've taken from me. Next, I'm going to take this world, _and_ yours, and _then _your death will be complete," Gine told the corpse.

"Gine! What have you done...Your sons, Raditz, and Goku, they're-" Yamcha started. Gine swooped down, and grabbed Yamcha by the throat.

"I told you not to say their names."

With a _crack_, Yamcha fell to the ground, his neck snapped in half.


	21. Saiyan Royale

"Piccolo...And Yamcha…" Krillin gasped.

"We can't help them now," Tien said, "But we have to help Meys and Brussa, at least until Goku and Raditz arrive. Stay focused."

"Damn that boy…" Roshi was actually crying, "You foolish boy…"

Krillin floated over, hugging his master; Roshi didn't question it, just flying with his students and companions. That was the second student he had lost in battle with the Saiyans.

"Are we sure Roshi can handle this?" Chi Chi asked.

"We don't have a choice. We have to hold out until Goku and his brother arrive. Whatever power they learned has got to be enough."

"I hope so…" Chi Chi said, looking back at the Turtle Hermit; she had never seen Roshi like this before.

The scene they arrived at was a battle in progress. Brussa was making flying strikes at her father like a swooping magpie, keeping just out of his reach after making each strike. It was apparent that the Saiyan was holding back, not wanting to actually hurt his daughter, while Brussa was giving the fight absolutely everything she had to try and knock Nappa out.

Meys, on the other hand, was pinned down on the ground, with Vegeta pressing down on his chest.

"Ah, look, Nappa. More pests. Deal with your brat already, so we can get on with this!" Vegeta commanded, looking up at the oncoming warriors. With Vegeta distracted, Meys pulled his knife, charged it with the last of his Ki, and stabbed Vegeta in the leg, trying to hit a vein to force him to bleed out. With his weakened state, however, he missed, though he still left a nasty gash in Vegeta's leg.

The Prince let out a yelp, grasping at the injuring, and Meys, despite the beating he'd been taking, managed to push himself off the ground. He wobbled, but found his balance, holding the bloody knife in his hand.

"Would you look at that," Meys chuckled, "The Prince can bleed."

Vegeta raised a hand, and gave Meys a sneer, "Congratulations. It's the only victory you'll have. BIG BANG ATTACK!"

White light consumed Meys's figure, and when it dissipated, all that was left was Meys's charred corpse, barely recognizable as the Saiyan warrior.

"MEYS!" Brussa screamed, and she flew to him, pushing at the body, trying to find any kind of life, and in part trying to confirm that it wasn't real. The only thing still recognizable was his knife and his armored component pouch, which he kept sensitive electronics in.

Master Roshi stepped forward, "I have to say, that was a very poor decision you just made."

"Look, we really don't have time for you pitiful Earthlings. Just tell us where the Dragon Balls are, and we'll make sure your deaths are quick and painless," Vegeta said, inspecting his wound before wiping away the blood.

"You won't get your hands on them. They aren't meant for the likes of you," Roshi said, "And your kind aren't welcome on Earth."

"Oh, is the old man going to put me in my place? Come on, gramps, you're out of your league," Vegeta teased. Krillin stood next to Roshi, and, in unison, they took deep breaths.

"Uh...Vegeta? Their power levels are rising," Nappa warned.

"Raditz was right, they can hide their power levels," Vegeta chuckled, "What are they at?"

Both Roshi and Krillin achieved their Maximum Power forms. Roshi stood behind Krillin, just a bit taller, and they began to charge their respective Ki.

"Just over Six Thousand."

"Hah! Six thousand!" Vegeta snorted, "You'll be-"

"_Each!_" Nappa held out his hands, starting to charge his own counterattack. Vegeta shifted stances, holding out his hand, and charging. His scouter beeped, warning that their power levels were still increasing.

"KA! ME! HA! ME! HAH!" the master and the student shouted together. Krillin aimed his upward, while Roshi fired his forward, the two waves combining into a single, much more powerful blast. Nappa and Vegeta fired their attacks back at it, and the beams clashed, blue on yellow. The humans' attack was enough to push Nappa and Vegeta back, but Vegeta quickly found more reserves, and the influx of extra power was enough to overwhelm the Master-Student Kamehameha. The blast sent Krillin and Roshi reeling back, and they landed on the ground. Nappa and Vegeta were left standing, breathing heavily.

"I can't believe it...They're still alive!" Nappa laughed, "These Earthlings are something else!"

"You're right...Maybe we underestimated them," Vegeta admitted, and he turned to Tien and Chi Chi, who were standing in position, back to back.

"What about you two? What tricks do you have for us, huh?"

Chi Chi and Tien put their index and middle fingers to their respective foreheads.

"YOU KILLED MEYS!" Brussa shrieked, charging straight at Vegeta. The Prince raised his arm to block the blow, only for Meys's knife to slice through it, splattering blood all over his face. Brussa pulled it out of Vegeta's hand and stabbed again and again, putting cuts into his chest and shoulders, ending with a nasty gash across his forehead.

"NAPPA! I TOLD YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WRETCHED BRAT!" Vegeta screamed, grabbing Brussa by the arm, blasting her with Ki, and then kicking her over to Nappa, who caught his daughter, and immediately started to slam her into the ground. Vegeta turned back to the humans, and flicked the blood out of his eyes with a twitch of his head.

"I'm going to give you ONE more chance to tell us where to find the Dragon Balls before I make this PAINFUL," Vegeta growled while stepping towards Tien and Chi Chi. The two humans looked up at the sky, and nodded to each other.

Flying at supersonic speeds from high in the sky, Gine slammed into Nappa, sending the now unconscious Brussa onto the ground, and pinned Nappa into a crater.

"YOU! DO NOT! HURT! MY! CHILDREN!" Gine screamed as she pounded her fists into Nappa's face.

"What ELSE is going to get in our way today?" Vegeta demanded.

"Oh you have no idea," Chi Chi laughed. Together with Tien, she shouted, "_Makankōsappō!_"

Two Special Beam Cannons were fired from their fingertips, combining into one, larger blast, which caught Vegeta in the chest. He literally spun with the attack as it sent him off into the distance. When he finally landed, the attack exploded.

Chi Chi and Tien let out a combined sigh of relief. They could still sense Vegeta, but it had certainly laid the hurt on him.

"Dammit," Chi Chi groaned. Tien looked over; Gine had stepped out of the crater from where she'd literally pounded Nappa into the dirt. Blood was dripping from her fists, and she glared at the humans with the same crazed, bloodthirsty look she'd given Piccolo and Yamcha before she'd killed them, too.

"Gine," Chi Chi held out her hands, "I'm your son's wife. If you kill me, you're leaving your grandson without a mother. Do you want to do that?"

"This world has taken _everything_ from me," Gine hissed, "If I have to take the last of my family by force, I _will_ protect what is _mine_."

"You don't believe that," Tien said, "Not really. Meys and Brussa told us about you. You're angry, I get it. But if you kill us, you won't be able to look your family in the eye. Please, believe me. We don't have to fight."

"I will destroy _EVERYTHING_ until my family is safe!" Gine screamed.

"I AM your family!" Chi Chi shouted back.

"You're just some alien," Gine held up her hand, charging Ki.

"It's okay Chi Chi," a voice called out from above, "I think we can handle things from here."

Everyone looked up; a pair of figures flew down in front of the sun, landing between Gine and her targets. Gine released her fists, her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened.

"...Raditz?" she said, "K-K...Kakarot?"

Goku grinned at her, "Hi mom. Good to finally meet you. Sorry I didn't call earlier."

Gine tackled the both of them with such force that Chi Chi thought she'd made another attack. Instead, she'd pinned her sons to the ground with a hug.

"Raditz! Kakarot! I can't believe it, you're alive! Where did-how did...What?" Gine was on the verge of hyperventilation as she grabbed at their clothes, patted their faces, and generally smeared Nappa, Piccolo, and Yamcha's blood all over them.

"That's what Yamcha was trying to tell you, Mom," Goku said, holding her at arm's length, "The Dragon Balls. My friends wished us back to life."

"...What's a Yamcha?" she asked. Goku gave her a sad smile. Gine studied it for a moment, before looking around. Nappa was still in the crater, and Meys's charred corpse had finally stopped smoking.

"...Was he...Your friend…"

"Yeah. He was. He tried to stop you from hurting anyone, including Piccolo, because it's okay. We're back now."

Gine's eyes filled with tears, and she pressed her face against her son's chest.

"Oh, Kakarot, I'm such a fool...I'm so sorry, I'm so...So sorry…" she wept, "I never meant to hurt you, I just wanted…"

Raditz laid his hand on Gine's back. She pulled her sons in for a hug.

"Well, well, isn't this touching," Vegeta sneered, floating back to them, "A big old family reunion. Do you see, Gine? _This_ is what being a Saiyan is. You destroy your enemies, and leave nothing in your path."

Gine looked up at Vegeta, her mouth agape as she tried to focus on him, "No, Vegeta. This is what letting arrogance and rage guide you. This...This isn't me. This is…"

Gine stood up, and walked over to Brussa; she was still breathing. Gine scooped up her daughter, and walked to Nappa. The huge Saiyan let out a gurgle and a cough.

"This is a travesty, Vegeta."

"Whatever. Raditz! I command you to tell me where to find the Dragon Balls," Vegeta pointed to him. Raditz shrugged.

"How should I know where they are? I just got here," he said, "Go find them yourself."

"IMPUDENCE! Kakarot, if you want me to spare your wretched world, you'll do as I command!" Vegeta screamed. Goku glared at Vegeta.

"You're too late. The Dragon Balls were already used to bring Raditz and I back to life. They wouldn't be active for another year," Goku said.

"A _YEAR?_" Vegeta snarled, "Fine! We'll take over this world, and wait-"

Goku shook his head, "And even if you did wait a year, they wouldn't come back. Piccolo is dead, and so is Kami, the Guardian of Earth. Without Kami, the Dragon Balls may as well be any of the stones on the ground. They're of no use to you."

"Vegeta, give it up," Raditz said, "This errand is a wash. Enough people have been hurt. This doesn't have to go any further."

"You sound like that idiot Meys! Look where it got him! _I AM YOUR PRINCE, AND YOU WILL FOLLOW MY ORDERS!_" Vegeta screamed.

"There's nothing left," Raditz gestured to the battlefield. Vegeta snorted.

"You're right. This world is USELESS to me. But Namek...If your 'Guardian' is a Namekian, I'm certain THEY will know how to make more! I'll have my wish, and NOBODY, not YOU, not these PUNY EARTHLINGS, and not even FREEZA will STAND IN MY WAY!" Vegeta floated into the air, sparking with energy.

"You ready for this, Kakarot?" Raditz asked.

"Just like we practiced," Goku agreed, putting his hands into the air. Raditz started to gather power. Vegeta's scouter started to flash Raditz's power level...Three thousand...Five thousand...Seven, eight...When it reached over nine thousand, he pulled the Scouter off his face and crushed it.

"I'm done with your family's disobedience! You've turned the last of the Saiyans against me, and left us week! This is the fault of your WRETCHED MOTHER! I should have killed her the day she dared join us!" Vegeta aimed his hands at Raditz, "I'll leave this planet a wreck, with you along with it! GARLICK! GUN!"

"FULL! POWER! WEEKEND!" Raditz screamed.

The two attacks collided, with Vegeta having the immediate and clear advantage. Raditz was close to Vegeta's power, but the Prince was channeling power he didn't even realize he had. Raditz, meanwhile, was deliberately holding back.

"KAIOKEN!" Raditz shouted, and his beam jumped forward.

"Do you think tricks will be enough, Raditz? You're weak! You've always been weak! No amount of beatings will EVER make you match a TRUE! HIGH CLASS! SAIYAN WARRIOR!"

The struggle turned back to Vegeta's favor.

"KAIO! KEN! TIMES! TWO!" Raditz shouted, and he regained control of the struggle.

"HAH! IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?" Vegeta pushed harder. Raditz stepped forward, found another depth of reserves, pushing the beam back towards Vegeta.

"No! NO! NO! This isn't POSSIBLE!" Vegeta screamed as the beams engulfed him. Raditz clapped his hands together when the beams were finished, and he took a deep breath.

"Whew! Let's go make sure I didn't kill him. There's been enough death today."

"Should I keep charging this?" Goku asked.

"You should, just in case," Raditz said, flying to where Vegeta landed. Just as he looked down to the ground, Vegeta reached out from the rubble and pulled Raditz into the ground. The Prince started to pound at Raditz. While Raditz had weight, Vegeta had skill, speed, and power, and it was difficult for Raditz to move under all the rocks. Instead of trying to struggle under the debris, Raditz let out a Ki wave to blast it all away, and finally managed to start exchanging blows with Vegeta.

Even at Kaioken times Two, Raditz was struggling to keep up with Vegeta.

"Kaioken times THREE!" Raditz shouted, which finally put Vegeta on the defensive.

"Do you think this trick is going to be enough? I'm the PRINCE! My power is GREATER than you can EVER IMAGINE!" Vegeta taunted.

"I can imagine a LOT! DEVIL'S DUE!" Raditz charged a blast, channeling the power of the Kaioken into it, and fired it off into Vegeta's face. The attack shredded the flesh of Vegeta's jaw, spreading blood everywhere, and knocked him through a rock formation. Raditz's Kaioken dropped, and he fell to his knees, his muscles feeling like they were on fire.

"_RADITZ!_" screamed King Kai, "_WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT ATTACK?_"

"Not NOW King Kai, a little busy here," Raditz said.

"Because you CERTAINLY didn't learn it from ME, and I know only a COUPLE of places you COULD have learned it and NONE of them are good, RADITZ! You will ANSWER me!" King Kai demanded. Raditz started to tune him out by reciting his mother's recipes in his head.

"Kakarot, I hope it's almost ready," Raditz shouted. Vegeta was stepping out of the cave made by the impact. The skin of his lower jaw had been burned off, his gums and teeth showing.

"You...Have made...A very, _very_ lethal mistake," Vegeta gurgled. A white ball formed in his hand, and he threw it into the air.

"Dammit! Mother, look away!" Raditz winced, turning away from the Blutz Power Ball. Gine did so as, well, but felt Brussa squirming in her arms. Gine looked down, and gasped; Brussa was awake, and staring right at the light.

"No, Brussa, don't look! You can't control it!" Gine told her, trying to put her hand over Brussa's eyes.

"Yes I can! I can beat him!" Brussa insisted, taking off her denim jacket as hair started to grow out of her skin. Her snout extended, and her form grew larger and larger. Vegeta was a few steps ahead in the transformation process. Raditz ran to his mother, pulling her and Nappa away from the Oozaru. Tien grabbed Meys's corpse, and took cover with Chi Chi.

"You think this is going to turn out any differently just because you're Oozaru? I still have you outclassed, whelp! Oh, why am I bothering, you're just a gibbering ape!" Vegeta, now fully transformed, snarled at her. His jaw injury was there, even in the transformed state.

Brussa punched him across the face, "Don't be so sure about that, you Royal Pain!"

The two Oozaru started exchanging punches, before grappling each other on the shoulders and started to try and push each other. Vegeta was clearly the stronger, but Brussa fired a Ki blast into his face, and shoved him to the ground. She grabbed a boulder, and started to smash at his chest with it, cracking and breaking the armor where the Double Special Beam Cannon had already damaged it. With access to his chest, Brussa started to pound on Vegeta. The Prince, though, was not down nor out, and with a well-aimed punch, he sent Brussa off him, and he kicked her when she was down.

"KIENZAN!" Krillin shouted. A Destructo Disk whizzed towards Vegeta, aimed for his tail, but Vegeta managed to rotate, and the attack struck his leg, instead, leaving a bloody gash on his ankle.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Vegeta fired a blast at Krillin, who dodged it, dragging Roshi with him.

"I've almost got it! Brussa, keep him busy!" Goku shouted.

Brussa kicked out, striking Vegeta's fresh injury, sending him to one leg, and struck him with clasped hands. Vegeta grabbed her arm and bent it back; the crack of bone and the scream of the Oozaru could be felt and very much heard for miles around. Vegeta came down with a series of punches, Brussa screaming in pain as he struck.

"BRUSSA! NO!" Gine screamed, looking up at the Blutz ball.

"No, mother, you don't have her training!" Raditz pleaded, "Goku! It has to be now!"

"I need help if I miss to redirect it!" Goku said.

"I'm too weak from Kaioken!" Raditz said.

"I'm on it!" Tien shouted, flying to the other side of Vegeta.

"I've got Brussa!" Chi Chi said, flying to the screaming Oozaru. Even with her newfound tremendous strength, she was unable to drag her away, however.

"Now Goku!" Tien shouted, and Goku dragged his arms down.

"GNATS! You're all GNATS!" Vegeta insisted. A shine in the sky caught his attention, and he saw the great blue ball of energy. It caught him on the side, and he nearly managed to side-step it, but with a great shout, Tien pushed the Spirit Bomb straight into Vegeta. It engulfed the Power Ball, and sent Vegeta off into the distance again. It exploded, rocking the entire region with an earthquake that could be felt as far away as the Land of Korin. Gales of wind forced even Goku back a few steps, and knocked over trees for miles around.

When it was done, none of them could sense Vegeta's energy.

"Brussa? BRUSSA!" Gine ran to her daughter. Goku followed his mother with his eyes, and then realized there were two bodies laying on the ground; he felt his heart sink to his feet.

"Chi Chi?" he ran to her. As Gine cradled her daughter, Goku grabbed his wife, who was burned and scarred from the attack, "Chi Chi! No, no, no, no, this can't be happening, no…"

"Goku?" Chi Chi said weakly. She raised her hand to his face, "It's you, Goku…"

"Chi Chi, I'm so sorry...You're going to be okay…"

"I'm so glad...You're back...Gohan will be so excited…" she wheezed, and her eyes closed, breathing light and irregular.

"Bean," Brussa coughed, shoving her mother's face away from her.

"What?" Goku looked at her.

"We keep beans, one each," Brussa pointed to Chi Chi's pockets, "I'd give you mine, but…"

Brussa was naked from the transformation.

Goku frantically checked her pockets, and found the bean in a container. He put the bean in his mouth, chewed, and pressed his mouth to hers, shoving the chewed bean down her throat.

"Come on, hi Chi...Swallow it! Chi Chi, please don't leave me!" Goku pleaded. Taking the instruction, Chi Chi managed a half-hearted swallow…

Which was enough. She took a full breath, and the scars and burns started to fade away. She clutched Goku's Gi and lurched. She reached up, grabbed Goku's head, and kissed him on the lips.

"Oh, Goku, you're back! I was so worried!" Chi Chi said between kisses. She then punched him in the chest.

'WHERE WERE YOU? WE COULD HAVE DIED!" she demanded.

"Ouch, Chi Chi! You're a lot stronger now! Watch it!" Goku laughed. He bent over, and kissed her, "I got here as soon as I could. I'm sorry I had you worried."

Chi Chi wrapped her arms around Goku, "Just don't do that again, okay? I want you here, by my side, always."

Goku pressed his head against hers, "Always."

XXX

Vegeta let out a wheeze and a gurgle. He pulled his remote from his pocket, and pressed the buttons to summon his pod.

"Oh, no you don't!" a voice called out. Vegeta looked over his shoulder, and saw a fat human with black hair, holding a sword.

"What…"

"I've got you just where I want you!" he held up the sword. There was a flash of yellow light, and the human was hurled back. Vegeta snapped around to look at the source, fearing the worst.

"Sh...Shive…?" he gasped. The lanky Saiyan walked over, holding something in his hands.

"This is for your own good, Vegeta," Shive said, kneeling. He pressed something against Vegeta's face; the Prince was far too weak to struggle. Shive put cuffs over Vegeta's hands and feet, and the mask he'd placed over Vegeta's mouth and nose made sure he fell asleep immediately.

With Vegeta incapacitated, Shive attached a device to the inside of Vegeta's pod, and he stuffed the Prince inside. With his own remote, Shive's pod hovered over. Before entering it, he ran his hand over the symbol on the pod. It was surreal that he'd made it this far, but here he was, with his own Special Forces pod.

With Vegeta's pod set to follow his instructions, Shive put in the coordinates for their next destination,and they took off, unnoticed by the warriors nearby.

At Capsule Corp, however, Dr. Briefs found himself wishing his daughter was here to see the readings of two faster-than-light starships leaving Earth Orbit from nearby the battlefield.


	22. Postbellum

_Capsule Corp_

"Your facility is safe, and Son Gohan is uninjured," Mercenary Tao declared, "Even without my involvement with the Saiyans, the terms of my contract are complete."

"Of course. Your upgrades are yours to keep," Dr. Briefs said, "I'm glad everything turned out well."

"As am I. If you require anything else, you and your daughter know how to contact me," Tao said. Dr. Briefs took a deep breath.

"There is, actually," he said, walking over to the computer. He tapped in a password, and brought up the galactic map.

"I've been developing an interstellar scanning system for a few months now, and keeping an eye on the areas around our solar system. I failed to track the Saiyans properly, but I think I have it now. What I do know is that there was a _fourth_ Saiyan pod in our solar system, which had arrived _before_ the three that attacked the Earth," Dr. Briefs showed the readings of Shive's pod on the screen, "I believe this was the missing Saiyan, Shive. Watch this."

The screen showed the three pods flying past Mars on the day they arrived. The pod in orbit around Mars took off and flew after them, about an hour behind. It landed on Earth, and then, a short while after, it took off, with a second pod behind it.

"Fascinating. What does this have to do with me?" Tao asked.

"Everything," Briefs pulled up a duffel back full of cash, "I have our own Starship, and I'm currently tracking those pods. I want you to follow them into space, find Shive, and either bring him back here, or, if he turns out to be a threat to the Earth, kill him. I'd avoid Vegeta if I were you; it's obvious he was in the second pod. If you return with any extra technology from space, I'll pay you a fortune for every piece you bring back, along with any intelligence about this empire of Freeza I've heard so much about. If the Earth is going to be attacked again, I'm going to be damn sure that we're prepared for it, with or without my daughter's friends."

Tao inspected the cash; it was billions of Zeni.

"Do you have any further upgrades for me?" he asked.

"I do, but you'll have to install them yourself," Dr. Briefs said, "I'll have the instructions installed on the ship's computer."

"Then you have a deal, Dr. Briefs. I will bring back the Saiyan-dead or alive, as appropriate."

"I know you're not a hero, Tao. But the world may be depending on you."

Tao bowed, and took the bag of cash, "I leave tomorrow."

With Tao gone, Dr. Briefs made a call. King Furry appeared on the video screen.

"Dr. Briefs. How goes the upgrades?"

"Unfortunately, we've hit a few snags. I'm going to have to focus on other projects for now, but it shouldn't delay me more than a few weeks, your Highness. But I had dealt with two issues: Mercenary Tao, and the missing Saiyan."

"Mercenary Tao? That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"Indeed. I've sent him on a mission into space. I've given him instructions to find the missing Saiyan and either bring him back or kill him. Hopefully, we'll have answers about what's out there son," Dr. Briefs explained.

"You've done quite a lot already. The damage to East City was extensive, and from your satellite reports of the battle, it could have been a lot worse. The Earth is in your debt, Dr. Briefs, once again."

"I believe we're only at the beginning, Your Highness. I'll keep you updated."

XXX

_Planet Freeza 79_

"You should leave this planet when we're done here, Doctor," Shive said, looking down at the operating room, where surgeons were grafting artificial skin onto Vegeta's face and stitching up his other wounds. They would then put him into an incapacitating tank, which would heal the rest of his injuries while also keep him unconscious until a superior officer determined it was prudent to do so.

"Why? You brought in Vegeta, and this is the most secure facility in the Empire. Cui can handle this," Kikono said, wiping Shive's arm with a disinfectant. Shive looked at him.

"You've done a lot for us in secret, Doctor. Vegeta is capable of anything. I'd hate for you to be caught in the crossfire," Shive told him. The researcher swallowed, and nodded.

"I see. It's rare to get my hands on a subject like Vegeta. But I do have research elsewhere that requires my attention, of course. I'll just have to come back later. Speaking of which, are you sure you don't want me to test this on him? It's rare to have this kind of opportunity to experiment on Saiyans, and most of the previous subjects couldn't handle it," Kikono said.

"I don't have time for it. The Ginyu Force will expect me to keep up, and this is my best shot. Besides, do you REALLY want Vegeta to achieve that kind of power that quickly? What would Lord Freeza say?" Shive pointed out.

"All right. But I can't guarantee you'll survive."

"If I don't take it, I won't anyway. Do it, Doctor."

Kikono grabbed the injector, and jabbed it into Shive's arm, the green liquid inside filling his veins. Shive let out a shout, clutching at his arm as soon as the injector was pulled out. Shive punched the wall, leaving a dent, screaming as his muscles contorted and twisted on his body. IT became hard to breath, and his face started to turn red. Kikono rushed at him with another injector, but Shive's instincts kicked in, and he punched the doctor across the room while he continued to thrash about.

When Kikono awoke, the room was completely destroyed, and covered in blood. Three dead Freeza soldiers had been beaten and smeared about, having entered the room at some point. Shive stood in the middle of the room, putting on his Ginyu Force armor.

"Sh...Shive?" Kikono said, "How...How do you feel?"

Shive grinned at him, "Never better. Congratulations, Doctor. Your serum worked. Captain Ginyu will be quite pleased with the results."

"Well, let's see your gains," Shive took a scouter off one of the corpses, "S-Sixty...Sixty seven thousand? This can't...Can't be right!"

Shive grinned at him, "Isn't that what your serum is designed for?"

"Yes, it exploits the Zenkai boost by bringing the subject to the brink of death repeatedly! The highest gain I've ever seen was twenty thousand! This is over three times that amount! How? How did you manage it?" Kikono demanded. Shive pulled his gloves on.

"Training and dedication. You know. Sit ups, pulls up, plenty of juice. The truth is, I've been brought to Zenkai so many times by Nappa in training, I'm not even sure what my limit was before. Now?" Shive clenched his fist, "Now it could be _anything._"

Kikono swallowed, and threw the scouter on the ground.

"Well, I have to say, I am impressed with your tenacity. And I have a lot more to look into. Please give Captain Ginyu my regards," Kikono said, slowly walking out the room. Shive said nothing until Kikono was at the doorway.

"I'll be sure he knows your contributions," Shive said, causing Kikono to jump, nod in 'gratitude', and hurry off down the hall.

XXX

_King Yemma's Office_

"Yamcha...Piccolo...Meys...Yep, right here, orders from King Kai. You're to run Snake Way, and receive his training," King Yemma pointed to his notebook.

"Really? We're going to get the same training as Raditz and Goku? All right!" Yamcha cheered, "This is gonna be great!"

"Don't cheer too much. We don't know how long the others are going to be resurrecting us. We could be here for a long time," Piccolo said.

"Well, however long it takes you, don't wait here, I have work to do," King Yemma gestured to the entrance to Snake Way, "So you better get started."

"Wait! Wait for me!" another voice called out. The three dead warriors turned as a fat Samurai ran towards them, panting.

"Yajirobe? What are you doing here?" Yamcha asked.

"I was waiting for you guys! This jerk told me I was going to Heaven, but there's no way I'm gonna sit around while you get all the training!"

"WHAT? I thought I told you to beat it already!" King Yemma growled.

"I didn't even know you were dead!" Yamcha confessed.

"I had Vegeta right where I wanted him! But then this other guy came along and shot me! Then I was standing in line for_ever_ and got super hungry, and this guy wouldn't let me see you guys, but I saw you waiting in the line!" Yajirobe explained, "I'm going with you guys to King Kai's!"

"Oh no you're not! I've got orders, and YOU'RE holding up the line! Now beat it, before I throw you to hell!" King Yemma said.

"Come and get me, big guy!" Yajirobe tugged his eyelid and stuck out his tongue.

"We'll bring him to King Kai's with us, and let him figure it out," Meys said, "Can't be that much trouble, King Yemma. We'll take responsibility for him."

"Ugh! Fine! Just get him out of here!" King Yemma waved them on, "Just stop holding up the line!"

The four of them walked to the beginning of Snake Way and looked at its length.

"Hmm. Shouldn't be too tough. We can fly this," Yamcha said.

"Yeah, about that," Yajirobe said, "I skipped Flight Day. I can't do it yet. We're gonna have to walk it."

"What? Seriously? You bum!" Yamcha snapped. Piccolo let out a groan.

"Well, I guess we'll take turns carrying him, then," Meys shrugged, squatting, "Hold on tight, Yajirobe."

"Thanks, Meys. You're an alright guy, for a Saiyan."

XXX

_Briefs Mansion_

"Hey, Brussa," Gohan peeked into her room, "How are you?"

"Gohan! C'mere, squirt!" Brussa called him over. Her arm was in a sling, and she had bandages over her head, chest, and legs, "I'm on a call with my friends. Bell, Kaz, Vuvu, this is my nephew, Gohan."

"Oh my goodness, he's so cuuuute!" Vuvu squealed, "Look at that hair! Aww, he's adorable!"

Gohan blushed, looking away from the screen.

"He wasn't at the fight, but Gohan's super tough! I trained him myself! He's gonna be big and strong like his aunt and uncle!" Brussa rubbed Gohan's hair.

"And my dad!"

"Yeah, him, too, I guess. Anyway, thanks for taking my call, girls. I know it's super remote out there," Brussa said, "Everyone's so sad and upset over everything, so I'm glad to have a friendly face."

"I'm glad you got your brothers back, Brussa," Bell said, "But, Meys...He was a good guy."

Brussa nodded, "I miss him already. Anyway, I'm gonna hang out with Gohan a bit, okay?"

"Bye!" the girls said together, and the feed ended.

"Are you okay, Brussa? That looks like it hurts," Gohan pointed to her bandages and cast.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. There's still some Senzu beans around. When we find them all, I'll be good as new. How about you, squirt? It must have sucked, sitting on the sidelines with Bulma and that gross Mercenary Tao."

"He wasn't so bad, I guess. He talked about the moves everyone was using, mostly. He's scary, but he knows a bunch!" Gohan said, "I wish I could have helped, though."

"I wish Meys hadn't tricked me like that," Brussa said, wrapping her good arm around Gohan and laying back on the bed with him, "If we'd stuck together, we could have won…"

"We'll get them all back, don't worry," Gohan said, cuddling up next to her, "And I have my dad back! He'll fix everything."

Brussa nuzzled his hair, "I hope so."

They laid there for a moment in silence, until Gohan realized that Brussa had fallen asleep. He tried to wiggle out of her arm, but her grip was too tight. The door to the room opened, and his mother peeked in. Gohan could do nothing but give her a pleading look for assistance. Instead, Chi Chi giggled, and closed the door. With no escape available, Gohan gave in, curled up with his aunt, and fell asleep.

XXX

_Briefs Mansion_

Chi Chi closed the door, and turned to Goku, "They're taking a nap, so we'll let them rest."

"Aww, I wanted to hang out with Gohan. It's been almost a year! He's gotten so big and strong! So have you, Chi Chi, I never thought you'd get back into fighting," Goku said, pulling his wife in toward him. She clutched his shirt.

"Well, I just decided, if you're not here to protect us, who will? We're both warriors. Besides, I wanted something...More than cooking and cleaning," Chi Chi admitted.

"I'm glad. You seem a lot happier. And that makes me happy," Goku rest his head on hers, and the pair of them held each other, swaying a bit.

"Who knew Goku was so sappy?" Krillin muttered, looking on from the couch. Everyone left from the fight except Tien and Chiaotzu were hanging out in the sitting room, plus Raditz and Gine. Raditz was on a recliner chair, fast asleep and covered in bandages, while Gine had curled up on the chair next to him.

"I'm glad to see the boy happy," Roshi said.

"I never struck him as being sentimental, though," Krillin said.

"The boy traveled the world several times just to get his hands on the Four-star Dragon Ball because it reminded him of his grandfather. Of course he's sentimental," Roshi pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought of that," Krilling admitted.

"_I_ think it's adorable. I knew the kid had had a big heart. They're so cute together," Bulma fawned.

"I figured you'd be more broken up about Yamcha. I know you were having problems, but you are still a couple, right?" Krillin asked.

"I mean, yeah, I cried, but then I remembered something Vegeta said. He mentioned Piccolo's homeworld, Namek, remember? They might have Dragon Balls!" Bulma said.

"You weren't there, how'd you hear about that?" Krillin asked.

"Oh, I hacked their Scouter system months ago. My dad and I watched the whole thing from their perspective. Well...He did, anyway. I...Couldn't handle it. But he told me about it afterward. So we can-" Bulma's explanation was cut short when Gine started to cry on the chair. Raditz snorted awake and immediately stood, getting into a fighting stance.

"NOBODY TOUCHES-what? What's-OW!" Raditz shuddered as soon as he stood, his body still reeling from the effects of Kaioken.

"Sit down you dummy!" Chi Chi barked at him. He obeyed, and turned to Gine.

"Mother, what's wrong?" he asked.

"All of this is my fault! I let myself get so angry...I killed your friends, I broke Nappa's face...Kakarot, I even threatened your wife! I became the thing I hate the most in the world. I'm a monster…" Gine stared at her hands. Bulma knelt at Gine's chair, and reached out her hand; Gine recoiled from the offered touch, and Bulma pulled her hand back.

"I can't imagine what you were going through, Gine. You were suffering in a way I don't think any of us have. I'm...I'm angry about Yamcha and Piccolo, I won't lie. But I'm also really happy to meet you. You know, I'm Goku's first friend? If I knew I'd meet his mother someday, I'd have spent every day thinking about it. So," Bulma stood, and offered her hand to Gine, "My name is Bulma. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Gine."

Gine stared at the hand, and shook it. Krillin walked over, and shook Gine's hand.

"My name's Krillin. Goku and I have been training together since we were kids, and he's still my best friend," Krillin said. Roshi stood behind Krillin, and then Chi Chi.

"My name is Roshi. Goku is the greatest student I've ever had. You should be proud of your boy; I know I am," Roshi said as he shook her hand. Tears poured down her face.

"Your son is the most wonderful man I've ever known, and I'm so happy to have him back. I neer dreamed I'd meet my mother-in-law. As for what happened, Gine, I forgive you," Chi Chi told her. Chi Chi leaned in, and hugged Gine.

"Th-thank you all...So much," Gine sobbed, "I can't...It's been a long time since anyone spoke to me with...Such kindness...Especially after I've been so awful."

"If it makes you feel any better, mother, I threw my nephew off a cliff," Raditz said, "If anything, all of this is _my_ fault for not listening to Kakarot."

"Yep," Bulma said.

"That's right," Krillin said.

"All you, boy," Roshi added.

"You're an asshole," Chi Chi pointed out.

"Entirely on you," Goku agreed.

"Well. So long as we're all on the same page on the subject. I'm sorry. I should have trusted you, Kakarot. I let my arrogance get the better of me," Raditz lamented.

"You already apologized to me, Raditz!"

"Well, now I'm apologizing to everyone, Kakarot! I'm sorry, I'm a big, stupid lug who doesn't listen to anyone, there, happy?" Raditz snapped. There was another round of agreement from everyone in the room. Raditz groaned, and shifted, trying to get comfortable on the chair again. Gine placed her hand on Raditz's arm, and stroked it.

"I love you, Raditz. I know you were doing what you thought was right, at the time. We both needed to trust family," Gine said.

"That reminds me," Goku approached Gine, and he knelt before her.

"We haven't been formally introduced. Mom...It's me. Kakarot," Goku said. Gine started to tear up again, and she hugged her son.

"Oh, Kakarot...I promised you that I'd come for you...I'm so sorry it took me so long...I'm so sorry I left you alone like that...I should have gone with you...I should have gotten into the pod with you when Bardock sent you away...I love you so much, Kakarot…" Gine rambled. Goku remained silent, just letting her hug him.

"I wasn't alone, mom," Goku said, and he gestured to everyone in the room, "I still had family. And now, I have you, Raditz, and Brussa, too, and I'm not letting you go."

Goku cupped his mother's face in his hands, and looked her in the eyes, "Let me be the first to say: Welcome home."

Gine kissed him on the forehead, "I have waited so long to hear those words, and I never even knew...Thank you, Kakarot."

* * *

Power Levels:

Gine: 11,000 with Rage

Nappa: 8,500

Vegeta: 15,000, 30,000 with Rage

Meys: 7,000

Brussa: 5,000

Yamcha: 2,600

Piccolo: 3,500

Krillin: 3,000, 6,500 at Max

Roshi: 2,500, 6,000 at Max

Chi Chi: 3,300

Tien: 3,300

Gohan: 2,000

Raditz: 12,000

Goku: 12,000

Shive: 5,500


	23. Shuttle is Go

_Briefs Mansion_

Chi Chi and Gine found one thing they could agree on: They did NOT like sharing a kitchen with the other. Their attempt to cook dinner together was next to a combat zone, causing the others to either flee or gawk upon the effort. Raditz, of course, had no choice in the matter, as he was still commiserating in pain on the recliner. Shouting, shoving, and sabotage was common as they attempted to prepare the Saiyan-size meal for their family.

It ended with piles upon piles of food being prepared as they attempted to outdo the other in flavor and volume of food, to Raditz and Goku's joy. Brussa and Gohan didn't help by cheering on their respective mothers, before devolving into a wrestling match between the two on the floor.

With no less than five Saiyans chowing down, cleanliness of the dining room was out of the question. Despite seemingly keeping up with his brother, Gine kept remarking how Raditz was not eating like he normally was, to which Raditz insisted his injuries were blocking his appetite. Only having one functional arm did not stop Brussa from matching her brothers, even getting in a tug of war battle with Goku over a strip of beef. When Goku won, Brussa leaped across the table to tackle him and she started to wrestle him for it, which Gine had to break up.

An entire tenth of the meal was not served with dinner, but rather packed up by Gine, so that Nappa would "Only have a snack and miss out," despite being nearly a week's worth of food.

The others were, at first, stunned by the display, but when Dr. Briefs simply shrugged and accepted the display, the others found it within themselves to chow down.

The end of the meal was the worst part, as Gine and Chi Chi insisted on everyone giving their preference as to who was the better cook. As much of the food had been mixed together and none of the bowls had been marked, everyone but Brussa and Raditz managed to excuse their way out of the competition. Gine claimed victory, however, as she had two votes, while the rest hadn't voted at all.

On that day, a feud was laid which had no resolution in sight.

XXX

_Wukong Hospital_

Raditz had to duck under the door after his mother when they entered Nappa's hospital room. He set down all the containers of food beside his bed.

Nappa's head was wrapped with gauze. Only one eye and his mouth were exposed. Brussa hopped into the room after her brother. The room immediately became tense as none of them spoke. Brussa, in particular, didn't know if she wanted to hug her father or poke at his injuries.

"Raditz?" Nappa wheezed, "What?"

"Dragon Balls give wishes, Nappa. They're real, and they work," Raditz explained. Nappa winced and clenched his hand.

"Of course…"

"I can't say I'm happy with Meys for getting himself killed. But I thought you would have the sense to stop him from doing it. Or have you just been paying lip service to what mom's been telling us since our _homeworld was destroyed?_ You've been Vegeta's lackey for so long, Nappa, not even you know what you think. Well, you can do what you want, Nappa, because we're staying here on Earth. With our _family._ I'm going to do everything I can to fix what we've done. But I'm done with you. You can't hurt me anymore," Raditz told him, "I'm not that scared little boy anymore."

Nappa looked away. Raditz harrumphed, and took his leave. Brussa took a deep breath.

"I'm _super_ mad at you, father. So, when you get better, I'm gonna beat you up, okay?" Brussa said. She kissed Nappa on the cheek, and followed her brother out the door. Before stepping through, she paused, and turned to her mother, "We'll be just outside, okay?"

Gine nodded, and turned to Nappa. She picked up one of the containers of food, and offered it to him. Nappa took it, and placed it on the stand next to his bed. He offered her his giant hand. Gine hesitated, and placed hers in it. Nappa gently held her hand, saying nothing.

"I don't...Know...What I want. Or what...What I feel, Nappa. When we started...I was just trying to survive. I don't know if it was real, or if I was just convincing myself it was, or if I was just doing what I could to keep my son and I alive...But now, I really do have a choice. I don't...I don't _need_ you, Nappa, the way I did before.

"Now that I realize this...I don't know if I _want_ you. Or even if I can _stand_ you. The way you hurt Brussa, how you let Vegeta kill Meys...You didn't try to stop me from hurting the Earthlings and the Namekian. All you wanted was for me to obey orders."

"I'm proud," Nappa wheezed, "Of Raditz. And Brussa. And you."

Gine gave him a soft, brief smile.

"If...Things had been different? If I'd had a wish on those Dragon Balls now, right now? I'd wish I'd done something...To make Raditz, _your_ son, to look to me like his father. I'm sorry for my weakness, Gine. You deserve better," Nappa said. Gine nodded.

"You're right," She stood, and turned away from him, "I _do_ deserve better. I'll...I've got a lot to think about."

Gine left Nappa in his room, alone, with the food. For the first time, Nappa wasn't hungry.

XXX

_The Next Morning_

"Rise and shine!" a voice called out to Nappa, parting the windows. Nappa winced, and let out a dissatisfied grunt. His eyes adjusted to the new light, and the human in his room finally came into focus.

"Who the hell are you?" Nappa demanded.

"I'm going to give you a job offer," the human declared. He had pale blue hair, a thick moustache, round glasses, and sky blue shirt under his white labcoat. He stood at the foot of Nappa's bed.

"Right now, the rest of my daughter's friends are wondering what to do with you. The rest of your companions are trying to make peace with them, but none of them even want to talk to you. Not after what you did to Brussa. But I'm not one to throw away anything. It drives my wife crazy, but I always have a reason. And I'm not about to throw _you_ away, either," the human said.

"You still haven't answered my question. Who the hell are you, and what do you want?"

"My name is Dr. Briefs. Goku, the one you call Kakarrot, is one of my daughter's oldest and closest friends. My daughter is long affiliated with the Galactic Patrol, and _you_ are a wanted man with no friends left in the Galaxy," Dr. Briefs said. Nappa looked away from him.

"Lucky for you, that doesn't mean you aren't _desired._ I appreciate your power, Mr. Nappa, and I am looking to put it to use. Maybe, if you show you're willing to risk yourselves for others, you might earn my daughter's respect. I can get you out of that bed with this," Dr. Briefs held up a Senzu bean, "And send you on a mission right away. I want to find out what your companion, Shive, was up to. I'd like to send you and another operative into space to track him down, and bring him back, along with any technology you can bring back to me. Even the smallest piece of tech could change the course of human history."

"What do you care about Shive?"

"Let's just say that a colleague of mine has talked some sense into me about everything that's been going on. Normally I'd leave everything to Goku, but his death has shown me we can't rely on him, not entirely. So what do you say? You bring back Shive, and I'll put in a good word for you with my daughter. Plus, I'll make sure you're never wanting for work, or a good training session, ever again," Dr. Briefs explained.

Nappa looked down at his injuries, and then at the untouched food.

"When do we leave?"

Dr. Briefs smiled, and handed him the bean, "Right away."

XXX

_Capsule Corp_

"We _can't_ trust them," Bulma said.

"Of course not. But who do you want to send after Shive?" Dr. Briefs said.

"Goku? Krillin? Roshi? Chi Chi?"

"Right, uh huh, and then who do we send to Namek? What if Vegeta is there already? Or Shive himself? You think Krillin could handle a Saiyan who's been doing who-knows-what behind our backs?"

"Since when did _you_ care about any of this, anyway?"

"When my daughter decided to fight the damn Red Ribbon Army with her friends," he snapped. Bulma was taken aback; in all her years, Dr. Briefs had _never_ yelled at her like that.

"I...I didn't know."

"But it always worked out. King Piccolo, his son. Hell, even when Raditz showed up. But then Brussa and Meys arrived, and guess what? No Goku! What if your friends all failed? What if Chi Chi hadn't convinced Brussa? What would you have done?"

"I-"

"There's nothing you COULD do! _Maybe_, if you survived long enough, you'd find some technology to blast the Saiyans, or give yourself powers, or go back in time, or whatever, but we _are not prepared_ to defend the Earth without your friends, Bulma," he explained. He gestured to the Namekian ship they were rebuilding.

"Maybe, out there, in space, there's some answer to my concerns. Maybe Namek's Dragon Balls will be enough. I don't know. But if I know you, you're going out there with them. _You _will pilot this ship, I'm sure of it. I sent Tao and Nappa out there _on the chance _that they can be even a _little_ bit helpful."

Dr. Briefs stroked the side of her face, "I know you can take care of yourself, Bulma. You always have. But you know if I could line the world with pillows to keep you safe, I would."

"I know. You tried."

"It might have worked, too, dammit!" he laughed.

"You're right. I'm the only one who understands this ship. I'm the only one who can get them there and back, or work the radio. I...Didn't want you to worry, I guess…" Bulma said.

"Nonsense. You were going to run off with your friends, tell me without asking, and come back, cursing yourself for being so foolish and getting so close to danger. But you love it. So I'm going to make this the best damn starship I've ever built. At least until the next one," Dr. Briefs chuckled.

"Yeah, I figured you were working on another one."

"Nonsense. I'm working on three."

"Of course you are."

XXX

_Briefs Mansion_

"So, Bulma says there's only room for four on Kami's ship, so only so many of us can go at once," Krillin said, "And since Bulma is piloting, that means only three of us can go."

"I'd like to go on the first vessel," Tien said, "Kami wanted to go with me, so we could both learn and become better Guardians of Earth, but without him...Well, it's up to me, now. If, for whatever reason, we can't bring him back, I may need to learn how to make Dragon Balls without him."

"I ain't been much use on looking for Dragon Balls, truth be told," Roshi said, "So I figure it's time I started to pull my weight."

"All right, that makes sense. I'll go, too. We'll have one ship full of Humans, and one ship full of Saiyans," Krillin said, doing the math on his fingers.

"Ugh, of course I get stuck on a ship with _you_," Bulma groaned.

"Yeah, just you, me, and the void of space," Roshi teased.

"And me," Tien pointed out.

"And me. Roshi, be nice to Bulma on this trip, okay? Everyone's already tense," Krillin said.

"Aw, c'mon, just a couple peaks?"

"Master Roshi, please," Tien groaned.

"All right, all right, I'll keep my hands to myself. At least until I can feast my eyes on them _fine_ Namekian _ladies!_" Roshi chuckled.

"Bulma, if you want, I can teach you how to crush a man's hand with a single blow," Gine offered.

"That sounds wonderful, Gine, thank you," Bulma said, and sneered to Roshi, "I'm _definitely_ going to _pick you up _on that offer."

Roshi recoiled from the threat.

"So, wait, how long will you be on Namek without us?" Gine asked.

"Probably only a few days, actually. I'm going to be ready tomorrow with my Namekian dictionary, so we'll leave right away. Then, my dad will have the second-well, third ship, I guess-completed in December, and those will be _much_ faster. So, not more than a week, truth be told," Bulma explained, "The first ship will take weeks, but the second should only take days."

"A week? I think we can handle that, right, Tien?" Krillin looked to the Triclops, who nodded.

"All right, well, I've already got my necessities packed up in capsules, so I'm good to go first thing," Roshi said.

"If by 'necessities' you mean 'porn', I suggest you repack," Bulma sneered.

"Listen, if there's one thing I know how to do, it's pack and live light! So it's not _just_ porn!"

Tien groaned.

"What's he talking about?" Gohan asked.

"I'll explain it to you later, Gohan," Chi Chi said, not ever wanting to explain it.

"Well, can _we_ go to Namek?" Gohan asked.

"Absolutely not! We are staying _here_ on _Earth_ where you are going to _study._"

"No way, Mom! I want to go! Mr. Piccolo and Mr. Meys and Mr. Yamcha died for us! We have to fix it! I'm not staying out of this again! I want to train, and help this time!" Gohan pleaded.

"We'll have over a month for him to train and study, and it will only be a few days. Imagine what he'll learn in an alien world, Chi Chi!" Gine said, "He'll be safe so long as he's with us."

"Especially if we're not _destroying_ the alien world like we normally do!" Brussa added, "Come on, Chi Chi, it'll be fun! I want to go on another adventure with him! As a family!"

"Pleaaaaaase?" Gohan and Brussa said together. Chi Chi tsked.

"All right, but _both_ of you are staying _caught up _on your _homework,_ do you _understand me?_" Chi Chi scowled at them.

"Yes, mom…"

"Yes, Miss Chi Chi…"

"Bulma, the second ship can take all of us, right?" Raditz asked.

"Of course it can. My dad figured you'd all want to go, so he's building it to house up to ten people. It's much bigger than the one he sent Tao and Nappa in, and the Gravity chamber is even bigger and more advanced, too," Bulma said.

"All right! Can you imagine, going above ten-times gravity?" Goku cheered.

"Maybe to thirty!"

"Or fifty!"

"Or a hundred!" Brussa added. All three cheered.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Chi Chi groaned.

"What about the kitchen?" Gine asked.

"There's not a lot of room, so there actually isn't one. But we're packing it with lots of good ready-to-eat meals. The good kind, not the slop they serve the military. You won't have to cook at all!" Bulma said.

"Oh...Okay…" Gine slumped.

"But I'll make sure there's some fresh produce, too," Bulma chuckled. Gine grinned, and nodded.

"I guess...Tomorrow is goodbye, then? I can't believe it's only been a few days...After a year...After...Five years? Goku, we need to hang out more often," Krillin said.

"Agreed," Tien said, "We had a pretty good system of rotating who we trained with. I say we keep it up afterwards. And with your family here, the more the merrier!"

"You bet! I'm looking forward to it!" Goku grinned.

"In the meantime, I say we party. I'll call some caterers and get some beers," Bulma said.

"Oh! Actually!" Brussa perked up, "I had a thought. There's one place in particular I think we should order from. I, uh, I think I owe them a bunch of money anyway…But they're a bit far."

"What are you talking about?" Krillin asked.

"The pizza place we found you at when you arrived," Tien chuckled. Brussa nodded.

"I _may_ have run out on the bill…"


	24. The Vegeta Revolt

_Freeza Planet 79  
Dec 13, A762_

Vegeta grunted inside the pod. The attendant scowled, and muttered to himself at the readings.

"Wait, this isn't right…"

He double checked the reading, and let out a gasp.

"This isn't…" he looked up, "This is ordinary Medical Fluid!"

He scrambled over to the wall, ready to hit the 'Alert,' but a yellow blast struck him in the back, and green fluid spilled all over the ground. Vegeta, entirely naked, stepped out of the medical pod, ignoring the glass on the ground. He looked around, and realized here he was; he was in the prison wing of a Freeza base. Medical machines like his were often used to keep prisoners unconscious if they were deemed too dangerous. This only meant one thing: Vegeta was officially a criminal in the eyes of the Empire.

He looked around, and found his effects in the room. Nothing more than broken armor and torn underclothes. He left the armor, but put the underclothes on; he had nothing else. He'd find the armory later.

Among his clothes was a note: _Pod 6493. 9045XY. The Legend is real. Together, always._

Vegeta scowled; and looked down at the green liquid on the ground. Either he had gotten powerful enough to shrug off the anesthetic, or someone had swapped his fluid for the ordinary stuff. The message had been typed.

"Together, always…And 9045XY...Those are coordinates...Planet...Namek!" Vegeta hissed, "What is the rest of this? The Legend is real? Nonsense."

He stuffed the note into his pocket, and went to the door. It was locked. With a scoff, Vegeta grabbed the handle, and pulled. With a jerk, he broke the lock. He looked up, and saw his reflection in the metal of the door.

His lower left saw was discolored, the artificial skin being pure white. He had a gash across his forehead beneath his hairline that stopped just above his eyebrow. He had another cut along the edge of his nose that went across his eye. Scars given to him by that brat, Brussa, with that fool's knife. He should have cut her throat with it. Disgusted with what he saw, Vegeta opened the door, and stepped into the hall. Along the wall of his cell were more such rooms with individual pods. Across the hall were cells for live prisoners, who were too weak to worry about any security measures beyond bars.

Still, a thought occurred to him; if he were an enemy of the Empire, then the enemy of his enemy was his friend.

"What? PRISONER! You-" a guard shouted, stepping toward him. Vegeta killed him with a blast, and ran to him. Vegeta took the scouter, ignoring the damaged armor and stun baton. Tapping into it, he found the map, and followed it to the command center, killing guards along the way. The alarm blared, but it did nothing more than annoy Vegeta with the shrill noise.

"We are under attack! This is not a drill! We are under attack, and a prisoner has escaped! This is a code red!" the base commander barked over the loudspeaker. Was someone else attacking the base at the same time? What a coincidence. Vegeta turned to the prison command room, and pulled the door off with a single heave.

"It's Vegeta! Vegeta is in-" someone started to shout. With a few well-placed shots, Vegeta cleared the room except for one soldier.

"You. Unlock all the cells."

"No way! Lord Freeza will peel my skin off!" the soldier said.

"Do it, or I'll not just peel your skin off, I'll _feed_ it to you," Vegeta said. For effect, he picked up one of the corpses and took a bite out of its neck. With a yelp, the soldier started mashing buttons. Within a moment, all the cells opened, and the doors to the pods did, as well. Satisfied, Vegeta killed the soldier with a blast, and returned to the main prison block.

"This way to the exit!" Vegeta shouted to them, flying above them. The confused mob followed, not questioning the instruction. Vegeta killed guards effortlessly, giving the now rioting prisoners Scouters, weapons, and armor, which they quickly used against the guards. Vegeta blasted through a guard blockade, and turned towards the armory.

There were far more soldiers here as they scrambled to get their armor and weapons. Vegeta started blasting. To his surprise, the wall of the armory exploded from the outside in, giving him a peak of what was going on outside.

There was a spaceship of some kind, white and black, with strange writing that seemed weirdly familiar. Someone was standing on the entrance ramp to the ship while it flew, and was firing at the base. The orbital defense turrets opened fire in turn, but the warrior made quick work of them. Vegeta finished off the soldiers in the armory, and used his Scouter to zoom in on the ship.

"Nappa?" Vegeta laughed. Of course Nappa was here! He'd survived the attack on Earth, and was here to rescue him! With a laugh, Vegeta found a new set of armor, and slipped it off. The rioters arrived in the armory as Vegeta flew out of the gap in the wall.

Between Nappa, the rioters, and Vegeta, the base was quickly overrun.

"VEGETA!" a voice rang out, "I should have known you were behind this."

"Oh, hello, Cui," Vegeta turned around to regard him, "Nice day you're having, isn't it? Well. Nice enough, anyway. Light chance of power blasts, I'd say."

"You're _dead._ Freeza was going to kill you before, but now...Now you're mine. I still have turrets and men, and you couldn't beat me on a good day!" Cui hissed. Sure enough, base turrets locked on Vegeta's chest.

"Is that a fact? Oh, no. What ever shall I do. Hey, Cui, do you remember what happens to a Saiyan when they come back from the brink of death?"

"What? They get-"

Vegeta jabbed his hand into Cui's chest with a lightning flash and a jab.

"They get back better than ever," Vegeta hissed, and fired a Ki blast, exploding him. The turrets exploded from Nappa's covering fire, and the rioters quickly overtook the soldiers. Freeza Planet 79 was now completely in the throes of rebellion.

"Vegeta?" Nappa called out as the ship landed, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Nappa!" Vegeta cheered, "You made it!"

Nappa, who was dressed in Earthling clothes, stepped out of the ship, "I guess it makes sense you'd be here..."

"You're here to rescue me, aren't you?" Vegeta asked. Nappa shook his head.

"I didn't know you were here, exactly," Nappa admitted.

"This is Vegeta?" a human called out. Mercenary Tao stepped off the ship and looked around.

"Yes. Vegeta, this is-"

"I don't care. Let's just get off this rock and go to Namek. I think someone is waiting for me there," Vegeta said.

"Who says we're taking you with us?" Nappa asked, "We're hunting Shive. We don't have any orders about _you._"

"Pragmatically speaking, I believe our employer would be interested if we were to bring Vegeta to them. However, I do not advise we bother fighting Vegeta."

"Shive? What does he have to do with anything?" Vegeta asked.

"We believe Shive was the one who took you from Earth," Tao said, "He had been in the system for weeks by the time you arrived. He was waiting for you."

"That WRETCH!" Vegeta hissed, "I'll BREAK him!"

"You won't touch him. We have our orders," Nappa said.

"I am your PRINCE! Who else would you take orders FROM?" Vegeta said. Nappa grinned.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" Nappa chuckled.

"Nappa, leave him. We have too much work to do," Tao said. Vegeta trembled with rage.

"Sorry, Tao, but I've been waiting for _this_ for a _long_ time," Nappa said, sliding into a combat pose, "And it's about time I did something about his attitude."

"Fine. I'm going to raid this base for technology, and see if there are any clues about Shive's whereabouts. Do _not_ break the ship, or I will cut your legs off," Tao warned, and he walked to the base, which was still fighting itself.

"You've never disobeyed me before, Nappa. Not even when your treacherous woman contradicted me. I'll give you the chance to change your mind now," Vegeta offered.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of now, Vegeta," Nappa said, "Pick a planet, and leave. We won't bother you again. You can be Prince of whatever dirtball you choose."

With a yell, Vegeta charged at Nappa, but to his surprise, Nappa caught the punch, and replied by kneeing Vegeta in the stomach. As Vegeta lurched and grasped at his chest, she stared at Nappa with surprise and rage.

"You know, all these years, I treated you like a Prince. Like my superior," Nappa said, grabbing Vegeta by the hair. He punched Vegeta across the pavement.

"But the truth is, you were a _boy_. A Prince of nothing, with just more power than you knew what to deal with," Nappa said. He kicked Vegeta on the ground.

"I treated you like a Prince, and acted like a lackey. But you were a boy, and you were in my care."

Vegeta fired a series of blasts at Nappa, which he blocked left and right.

"What you _needed_ was a parent. What I _should_ have done is been your father. That is what Gine wanted me to do. But I was too scared, too stupid to realize it," Nappa said, charging Ki as Vegeta prepared a blast. A Beam Struggle ensued, which Nappa handily won.

"But now I'm too late, Vegeta," Nappa held out his arms, "You're an adult, and I'm no father. Not to you, not to Raditz, not even Brussa."

"You...You're a treacherous WRETCH!" Vegeta screamed. He fired a blast at Nappa's chest, but it did nothing. He fired a barrage at Nappa, who reached out, grabbed Vegeta by the hair, and hoisted him up.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Vegeta," Nappa said, and he punched Vegeta in the stomach.

Mercenary Tao returned, holding a bag marked "Swag" over one shoulder, and a pair of armored chest pieces in the other. Tao threw a black one to Nappa.

"I believe you are familiar with these?" Tao said. Nappa slid his on.

"How did it go?" Nappa asked. With a swing of his arm, Tao tossed the bag full of electronic junk into the ship.

"I believe you and I just became extremely wealthy men, indeed, Nappa," Tao said. He pulled a marker out of his pocket, and drew this Satsu Kanji on the front of the other suit of armor. Tao grabbed the left pauldron, and snapped it off with his hands, and then did the same to the other. Tao stretched his suit open, and slid it on over his clothes. The pink armor with the Kanji was a little unrefined, but it was consistent with Tao's outfit.

"Glad to hear it, but what about our target?" Nappa asked.

"I believe I have found where his next destination is. Have you concluded your business with Vegeta?" Tao asked.

"I worked it out of my system. He won't be a bother," Nappa said, glancing down to the still-writhing Vegeta.

"Good. Shive went to these coordinates," Tao said, offering a datastick to Nappa as they stepped back onto their ship.

"What? This can't be right! This is where the Ginyu Force is stationed!" Nappa said as the door closed behind them. Vegeta quivered as the ship took off. Tears dropped off his face.

He was alone.

He was outclassed.

He was unimportant.

He was _beneath_ everyone else, even Nappa.

"Prince Vegeta?" someone called. Vegeta wiped his face, smearing his blood all over, and he turned to the voice. Some alien was walking up to him, holding a red cape. The alien had a blaster on one hip and a Ki baton on the other. On his armor, the symbol of the Saiyans had been drawn on the left breast.

"What...What is this?" Vegeta asked, standing up.

"You freed us. We all owe you that, even if it is just until Freeza counter-attacks. This victory, you've given it to us. It's not much, but I found this. I believe it belonged to your family. It's yours, Prince Vegeta," the alien said, offering it to him. Vegeta studied the cape; it was just like his father's. There was a bloodstain on the shoulder, and Vegeta winced.

It _was_ his father's.

"I'm not worthy of it. Find someone who is," Vegeta said, turning away. He dug into his pockets, looking for the note.

"But, it's yours!"

"Not anymore," Vegeta said, and he walked to pod 6493. It opened as he approached, seemingly recognizing him, and he stepped inside. The alien watched as the pod took off into the sky. He looked down at the cape, carefully refolded it, and turned back to the base.


	25. Namek

_Son Family Homestead  
December 18, A762_

Gine laid on her belly in front of Gohan, who was similarly posed. Gohan's attention was entirely on the piece of bacon laid on the plate between them. Gine was staring at Gohan with a pleased smile. Both of their tails twitched with interest as they slid their hands closer and closer to the plate, daring the other to make the move. Gine twitched one hand, causing Gohan to strike out and slap it. With the other hand, Gine swiped across the plate, snatching the piece of bacon. Enraged by the deception, Gohan leaped over the plate to tackle his grandmother, and the two wrestled, with Gine holding the bacon just out of his reach. She shoved the bacon halfway into her mouth. Gohan gasped at the offense, but Gine bit down, causing the other half of the bacon to fall off, which Gohan caught and shoved into his mouth.

Gine laughed softly, prompting Gohan to do the same. Gine scooped up the plate with one hand and held Gohan with the other, and put the plate on top of the pile of dishes from breakfast. At the sink, Raditz and Goku were having a race to see who could finish their pile first. Chi Chi hovered by them, making sure they cleaned each dish thoroughly, or they would face her wrath.

Gine stepped outside with Gohan, and found Brussa doing weight jumps. Without a word to her daughter, or to Gohan, Gine threw Gohan up to her. The boy laughed all the way up. Brussa turned in midair, and caught Gohan before landing.

"You're not a weight! You're a squirt!" Brussa exclaimed.

"I'm not a squirt, _you're_ a squirt!" Gohan retorted. Brussa gave a gasp.

"You DARE mock the pride of a Saiyan Warrior? _I will destroy you for this!_" Brussa declared in a mocking Vegeta impression. Brussa started to poke Gohan in the sides, and he yelped at the tickle, swinging a punch at her to make her stop. It quickly turned into a sparring match between the two, with Brussa's weights quickly abandoned.

"You two have overlooked the true threat! MOTHER MONSTER!" Gien declared scooping them both up and tossing them into the field.

"Neither of us are strong enough on our own! We'll have to work together!" Gohan said.

"Just don't get in my way!" Brussa laughed, charging at Gine. The three of them began to spar in the field.

"Aw, man, it really looks like they're having fun…" Goku groaned.

"Finish up and you can join them," Chi Chi said. Goku began to scrub faster, which prompted Raditz to match his brother's speed. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"That could be Launch!" Raditz declared, abandoning his sink and flying to the satellite phone.

"Do these dishes look done to you, Raditz?" Chi Chi snarled.

"Aww, that's no fair, Chi Chi!" Goku moaned.

"I didn't say stop!" she snapped.

"Son residence, this is Raditz speaking," Raditz sang.

"Oh, hello Raditz!"

"Hello, Dr. Briefs…" Raditz sighed, deflating.

"It's good to hear your voice, how are you?"

"Oh, good. We're just cleaning up after breakfast, how are you?" Raditz asked lamely.

"Oh, breakfast, I knew I forgot something this morning! Panchy made me a sandwich and everything! I'd forget my moustache if it weren't attached to my face."

"Heh. What kept you up all night?"

"Oh, it was the atmospheric calibrations. It occurred to me that I didn't create an automated system for the landing system to compensate for the change in atmosphere."

"Oh, yeah, if you have to do that manually, it's an intensive process for the pilot."

"But luckily, I realized I already had a system for atmospheric reading."

"Did you use a Laser reading system, or a general suite?"

"Both!"

"Smart."

"Raditz, what does Dr. Briefs want?" Chi Chi called over.

"Oh, right. What can I help you with, Dr. Briefs?" Raditz asked.

"Ah, yes, the reason I called is that I fixed that system, and now the ship is ready. You can take off whenever you're ready," Dr. Briefs said.

"Oh, yes! We'll be right over! Thank you, Dr. Briefs!"

"Of course, Raditz. I'll see you soon."

"You bet!" Raditz hung up, "Kakarot! Chi Chi! Dr. Briefs finished the ship! We're going to space!"

"Oh, no we're not, not until this house is _spotless!_ I am _not_ going to space for _Kami knows how long_ only to come home to a _mess!_ You grab a broom and _get cleaning, mister!_" Chi Chi threw a broom to him.

"But it's ready _now!_" Raditz whined.

"Finish quickly, and we might have time for you to drop by and see Launch," Chi Chi offered. Raditz immediately began lifting furniture and sweeping under.

"Dishes done!" Goku declared, drying off his hands.

"Good, now you can help Raditz."

"Aww, but Chi Chi-"

"I'm going to go pack. We all have our role to play, Goku. Do you like having a nice, clean house?" she asked. He nodded.

"Then we _all_ do our part. Now use that super-speed, and get this house clean! I'll time you!"

"Yeah, it's like training!" Goku sped off to help Raditz.

"Gine! The spaceship is ready! Don't get all sweaty before we have to fly! I need help packing!" Chi Chi called out.

"All right, kids, go get your books. You two will train _and_ study on our way there," Gine grabbed the two of them under her arms, "You ready to go to space?"

"Yeah!" Gohan cheered.

"I was _born_ for space!" Brussa said.

"You _literally_ were," Gine chuckled.

XXX

_Orbit of Planet Namek_  
_December 18, A762_

Bulma _never_ thought she'd be grateful that Master Roshi's 'essentials' included risque movies. But he'd brought enough with him that they still hadn't gotten through his whole collection. Bulma's activities on the flight had included reading books, reading comics, eating junk food, and napping. After a week of this, she'd finally given in, and started watching the horrible films with Roshi.

They were cheesy, insulting, overly dramatic, poorly acted, sexist, and nearly pornographic. Bulma couldn't get enough of them.

"Just sleep with them both! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!" Bulma shouted.

"They love each other, and they both love you! It's the best solution for everyone!" Roshi agreed.

"Do you think she'll do it?" Bulma asked.

"She's shy, but that girl has spirit! Go on! Kiss your Prince! THEN KISS YOUR WOMAN, YOU SILLY GIRL!" Roshi shouted.

"Go! You can do it, I believe in you!"

"Bulma?" Tien called out.

"What?" Bulma snapped.

"The computer is beeping," Tien pointed.

"Oh," she hit pause on the TV.

"Nooooo!" Roshi groaned. Bulma sat in the pilot's chair, and started reading the feed.

"Hey guys! I think we're here!" Bulma shouted to the others.

"Wait, really? We're at Namek?" Krillin stood.

"Yep! Just look!" she switched the view, showing the green, swirling planet.

"Wow, it's beautiful! Much prettier than the fake one!" Krillin said.

"Don't remind me…" Tien groaned.

"You're telling me," Roshi coughed, blushing at the memory of the Namekian 'woman' he'd gotten so 'close' to.

"Everyone strap in!" Bulma said, and the warriors all took their seats. Bulma hit the landing thrusters, and the planet got closer and closer, until the curvature became flat, and the black of space became a green sky. The ship slowed, and Bulma deftly landed the vessel.

"All right, everyone. There might not be a lot of oxygen here, but you're lucky I'm such a genius. I installed a barometric sensor which-HEY! What are you knumbskulls already doing outside?!" Bulma shouted at the windows; the three warriors had already left the ship.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Tien said.

"Yeah. Piccolo would bring us to places like this when we were training," Krillin said.

"Home is where the heart is, even if you're an alien, I suppose. Gives me a new layer of respect for the green man. He and Kami must have been feeling so lonely…" Roshi said.

"DO YOU THREE MORONS SHARE HALF A BRAINCELL? We don't know anything about this place! We could be breathing anything! This air could be killing us right now without us knowing you numbskulls!" Bulma shouted.

"If that's true, why did _you_ come out without a mask?" Krillin asked.

"_Don't you sass me!_"

"Do you guys feel that?" Tien asked.

"I do. That's a lot of power," Roshi agreed, "It feels...Evil. Wrong."

"Oh, come on. Gine and Mr. Popo said that the Namekians were peaceful, and that there's nothing to worry about. And given how strong Piccolo and Kami are, is it any surprise their people are any different?" Bulma said.

"I know evil when I sense it, Bulma," Roshi said, taking a breath, "Unless Gine and Mr. Popo have strange definitions of 'evil', I don't think we're alone in our search for the Dragon Balls."

"W-w-wait...Do you mean...F-F-Freeza could be here?" Krillin stammered.

"Freeza? That Emperor guy? Oh, no, no, no, no!" Bulma started to panic, "When is Goku gonna get here?"

"You said a week, didn't you?" Krillin said.

"We've got another problem," Tien said, looking up.

"That's Vegeta, isn't it?" Krillin groaned.

"Seems like," Roshi sighed, "We've got our work cut out for us, boys."

"Well...We've got the advantage! We have the Dragon Radar!" Bulma produced it, and clicked it, "See? There's two close by, and another four already gathered! We've got this in the bag!"

"Bulma, think about this: If Freeza beat us here, and he's looking for the Dragon Balls, who do you think gathered them in one place?" Tien proposed. Bulma let out another groan.

"There's no point in panicking," Roshi said, "Let's hide the ship, and find a base of operations. Then we'll pick up the two Dragon Balls nearby, then find a way to steal Freeza's. Boys, let's suppress our power so their doohickeys can't find us. Bulma, you have communicators for us, right?"

"Huh? Right. Yeah, I have them in a capsule," she pulled out a capsule, which produced a small carrying case. She handed Roshi, Krillin, and Tien sunglasses, each custom made. Tien's had three lenses instead of two, Krillin's was built to accommodate his lack of a nose, and Roshi's looked exactly like his normal ones.

"I built them to work like Scouters, but with a lot more options, and it's in a language you understand, of course. I also have them connected to my Dragon Radar, so you can track the Dragon Balls wherever you are," Bulma explained.

"You thought of everything, Bulma," Krillin complimented.

"That's because I'm the best," she declared, and she pressed a button on the ship, which reverted it to a capsule, "I'm going to-"

"Take cover!" Krillin shouted to her. Bulma grabbed the capsule and scrambled for cover.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a figure called out. He had horns, blue skin, and an orange mullet and matching moustache. With him was a purple lizardlike alien. Both wore the same kind of armor as the Saiyans.

"Hello there, gentlemen. I'm afraid we're a little lost, maybe you'd be able to help us? See, our ship ran out of fuel, and we aren't sure where we are, do you have a map?" Roshi asked them.

"Sorry, Grandpa, but I'm afraid this is your last stop," the mullet alien aimed his blaster at Roshi, who chuckled.

"You sure about that?"

"KIENZAN!" Krillin shouted. The Destructo Disc sliced through the two aliens, and they fell into the water as a pile of limbs.

"That was pretty brutal, Krillin," Tien observed, "You sure that was warranted?"

"If half the stories from Meys and Brussa are true, Freeza's soldiers are nothing to toy around with," Roshi said, "I hate to resort to killing so easily. But we may not need a choice."

"We've got our work cut out for us already, and we just got here…" Tien lamented.

"Come on, let's look for some proper cover," Krillin said, leading them up a hill. Weeks of lounging, junk food, and TV did not make it easy for Bulma to keep up with the three warriors, who had largely spent their time meditating, practicing combat in their minds, exercising, and only occasionally watching TV.

"Hey! Here's a cave!" Krillin pointed.

"Oh...Thank goodness...Master Roshi...Would you help me...with an exercise program? I'm...Out of breath…" Bulma gasped. Roshi let out a frustrated grunt.

"I promised I'd behave myself on this trip," he reminded himself.

"Into the cave! Now!" Tien shouted, picking up Bulma and running in, the others following. A series of men in armor flew by. Tien, Krillin, and Roshi tensed as they felt the powers.

"What...What is it?" Bulma asked, pushing herself away from Tien.

"That power...Each of them could have given Nappa a run for his money, at least...But the three at the front…" Krillin said.

"They make Vegeta look like a punk. And the one in the chair...There's no doubt about it, that was Freeza, all right…" Roshi said.

"So...How much trouble are we in?" Bulma asked.

"A lot," Tien admitted, "We're going to have to make the most of it, though, until Goku and his family get here. The three of us can't take Freeza. But, maybe, with all of us…"

"Don't forget Vegeta, though," Krillin said, "He was more powerful than ever!"

"If we get one of the Dragon Balls, then Freeza won't be able to use them!" Bulma said, "And there's another in that direction! Where...He's headed…"

"I can sense life in that direction," Tien said, "Those might be Namekians!"

"We have to help them," Roshi said, "Boys, keep your power down. No flying."

"I'll set up camp, and get ahold of Earth, and tell Goku and his family to double-time it!" Bulma said. The warriors dropped their bags and weighted clothing, and started to jump to the village. Bulma tsked at the mess.

"I'm not cleaning that up," she said, and went into the cave.


	26. Secrets and Truths

_Capsule Corp, West City  
December 18, A762_

"Oh, hey, Launch. Lucky bumping into you here," Raditz said, leaning against the tractor trailer. Launch, in her blue form, looked up at him.

"Real lucky bumping into me where I _work,_" she snickered.

"Oh, I'm always lucky when I see you."

Launch blushed, "You smooth talker."

"Well, I'm glad to see you before we head off. I'm going to space."

"Yeah? In your spaceship?"

"Yep. Gonna be _super_ dangerous. Lots of pirates and bad guys."

"Well, good luck," Launch put her trucker hat on, and walked around the trailer, leaving Raditz standing there, stunned.

"W-wait! Launch! Hold on!"

Launch slipped under the trailer, and grabbed his arm from the other direction; Raditz nearly jumped out of his armor when she ambushed him.

"Hey. Don't be afraid to come out and 'be lucky' to bump into me, okay? When you get back, you-you...you…"

"You...What?"

"YA-CHOO!" Launch sneezed in his face. Raditz handed her a handkerchief.

"What I _said_ is when you get _back_-and if you _don't_ I'm gonna _kill_ ya-is you're taking me out for dinner, first thing, you hear me?" Blonde Launch squeezed his hand hard enough for him to squirm.

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Good. Glad we're on the same page," Launch said. She kissed him on the cheek, "See you when you get back."

Launch turned, smacking her hand on Raditz's butt, and hopped into the cabin of the Capsule Corp truck. Blushing, Raditz walked to the corner of the truck bay, where he found Goku waiting for him. Goku gave his brother a cheeky smile.

"Not a word, Kakarot!" Raditz growled to him. Goku mimed 'zipping' his lips.

"Come on, the ship's ready."

"Oh, I hope Dr. Briefs got that stereo system installed he mentioned!" Raditz said.

"I don't understand why there isn't a muffin maker," Goku grumbled.

XXX

_Planet Namek  
December 18, A762_

Vegeta looked around; the planet was one of the most boring places he'd ever visited. Even the backwater that was Earth had the occasion homestead in the remote areas. Flying over the countryside of Namek, he saw _nothing_. If it weren't for the fact that his Scouter was listening in on Freeza's operations, he'd have guessed that there was nothing here. That, and the feeling of power tingling at the edge of his mind; he could sense the people of this world. It was still a new sensation.

"What am I even doing here?" Vegeta grumbled, looking at the note again, "What is the Legend? The Dragon Balls? I knew they existed...What could this mean?"

Vegeta listened to Freeza, Zarbon, and Dodoria taunting the locals. He didn't care, until Freeza mentioned his wish:

"Oh, it's nothing major, just a simple thing, really, I want immortality, eternal life for myself."

Vegeta snarled; of course that's what Freeza was here for. If he achieved immortality, the universe would never be rid of the bastard. It must be what Vegeta's benefactor wanted him here to stop. Vegeta knew that the Dragon Balls didn't work without all the Dragon Balls. He could stop, or at least delay, Freeza by taking and hiding just one Dragon Ball.

But what did the note _mean?_ What _legend?_

Vegeta could sense powers spiking. Dodoria was fighting some familiar energies where Freeza was. Vegeta clenched his fist. He might not have a way to defeat Freeza yet, but he could at least take his frustrations out on some of his goons.

XXX

_Planet Namek  
December 18, A762_

"Wh-what are those things?" Krillin asked. The three warriors were laying on a cliff edge, looking down at a Namekian village. Freeza and his goons were facing down a few elderly Namekians and a pair of children. Many of Freeza's goons were holding four-legged creatures by the leash. While 'dog' was the best comparison, they did not have fur, were different colors, and the warriors could sense they had powerful Ki to them.

One of the soldiers struck his unruly beast with a baton. It turned on him, leaping on the soldier's chest and started to rip him apart with his teeth. The blue man aimed a hand at the creature, and blasted it, leaving both master and beast dead on the ground.

"They look nasty," Roshi commented. They listened to Freeza and the old man go back and forth about the Dragon Balls and the devastation Freeza's forces had laid upon the Namekians.

"We're in a lot of trouble here," Roshi admitted, "I'm not sure what we can do…"

"We have to do something," Tien growled, "They're going to kill them!"

"You're right, but we can't take on the big man or those two goons of his. Not alone, anyway. We'll have to be smart about this," Roshi said.

"What about the Kamehameha Cannon?" Krillin asked, "They can't sense energy. If we hit them with the Cannon, we might take out all their Scouters, and the Namekians can escape!"

"It takes too long, and there's no guarantee. We'll have to wait until the moment comes to strike and get out of there, at least with the children," Roshi said.

"Start the Cannon," Tien said, "I'll handle this."

"What? Tien, you can't handle them!"

"Just do it!" Tien ordered. Roshi stood, and started to concentrate his power, bulking up. Tien leaped into the air, and shouted,

"You! Namekian! Take the children and _run!_"

"What? Who?"

"_NOW!_"

Tien held out his arms, and concentrated. Two more emerged from his back.

"How interesting…" Freeza muttered, "It seems out meddlers have arrived."

"DODON WITCH BARRAGE!" Tien shouted, firing Dodon rays down upon Freeza and his men with his four arms. A few struck Freeza, Zarbon, and Dodoria, which did little. The others, however, truck Freeza' men, their beasts, and, most importantly, the Scouters. The Namekian elder took the opportunity to fly with the children over the cliff. They were shocked to see two more of the aliens charging an attack just over the cliff.

"Fly!" Roshi shouted, "As fast as you can!"

Not needing to hear it a third time, the Namekian flew off into the distance.

"Dodoria? _Kill him,_" Freeza growled. Tien put both sets of hands together and aimed the triangles carefully.

"KIKOHO!"

The two Tri Beams fired, leaving squares in the ground. While Dodoria and Zarbon were sent to the bottom, Freeza remained in place. The tyrant aimed a finger at Tien, but he was over the cliff before he fired.

"Dodoria? _NOW!_" Freeza snarled. Dodoria flew out of the hole after Tien, but with a shout, the Master-Student Kamehameha Cannon struck Dodoria from below, flinging him off into the distance with a blue streak of light. With their attack fired, Krillin and Roshi flew after Tien and the Namekians.

"I'll handle this, my lord," Zarbon said, ready to fly after them.

"No! Let them go. If Dodoria survived, he won't return until he destroys them-or gets killed in the process. The Dragon Ball is still here. _Find it._ I _want_ my _wish_, I don't care about these _worms,_" Freeza ordered.

XXX

Dodoria cursed when he peeled himself off the ground. That attack had caused some serious damage; the aliens were clever, and a lot more powerful than he'd given them credit for when he'd spotted them on his Scouter earlier.

"If Freeza doesn't get that Dragon Ball, I'm dead. I've got to find that Namekian," Dodoria said.

"Oh, I'd say you're dead one way or another," Vegeta said.

"WHAT? Vegeta? When did you get here?" Dodoria demanded.

"A little while ago. I've been listening in on your chatter. Interesting trick I've discovered, suppressing my energy. I thought I'd drop in as a surprise," Vegeta said.

"It's a good thing you had the sense to bring a Scouter. Why don't you hand it over, and Freeza might feel gracious enough to kill you quickly, _traitor_," Dodoria held out his hand.

"Oh, you mean this Scouter?" Vegeta held it out towards Dodoria. Dodoria let out a relieved grunt, stepping toward Vegeta, only to watch in horror as Vegeta crushed it.

"You...You fool! Now you're as blind as the rest of us!" Dodoria said.

"Am I? Oh, see, well, when I was on Earth, my team turned against me, but they still managed to teach me a new trick: They can sense energy. And if two Saiyans can do it, why shouldn't I? It's only natural. So you and your wretched Master can flail about all you want, while I hunt down the rest of the Dragon Balls!" Vegeta said.

"You TWERP! I'm gonna rip you to pieces, and serve you to Freeza with the rest of those offworlders and the Namekians!" Dodoria growled.

"Come and try it," Vegeta challenged. Dodoria fired a barrage straight at Vegeta, obliterating the hills around them.

"Did you skip too many weekends at the range?" Vegeta asked, appearing behind him. Dodoria swung his arm like a club, but Vegeta caught it with one hand, grabbed the other, jumped on Dodoria's head, and started to push.

"AUGH! How! How did you get this powerful?" Dodoria demanded.

"Little quirk of Saiyan biology. Whenever we're nearly killed, we come back just a bit stronger. They decided to put me into one of those medical pods as my cell, so when I woke up, well...I'm pretty sure even you can do the math on that one, Dodoria," Vegeta explained, and he pulled a bit harder.

"W-w-wait! I know something! Something you're going to want to hear! Spare me, and I'll tell you what really happened to your homeworld!" Dodoria pleaded.

"You think I didn't _know?_ I knew from the beginning, since that wench Gine told Nappa," Vegeta said. He hesitated, "Which...She learned from her mate, Bardock…"

Vegeta scowled. It was starting to connect. Bardock had predicted the attack, he'd even saved his son, Kakarot, from the attack. He was a tactical genius, a Special Forces wonder.

"What I want to know is _why_," Vegeta said.

"L-let me go, and I'll tell you!"

Vegeta released his grip on Dodoria, who rubbed at his arms where Vegeta had held them.

"See, it's like this: More and more Saiyans were being born with higher and higher battle powers. While it seemed like they'd be of use to Freeza at first, he realized that, over time, a powerful Saiyan race wouldn't be loyal to him. So, instead of gambling and letting a Saiyan rebellion come to pass, he decided to put an end to the threat before it ever came to power!"

"No. That's not good enough. Something isn't adding up. If it was just a matter of driving us to extinction, Freeza would have had Gine killed. Instead, two measly Saiyan pods were allowed to leave. And from what Gine says, Freeza's men had been asking about…" Vegeta's ears started to ring, "...Ask about the Super Saiyan…"

"See? What do you need me for, you figured it out all on your own, Vegeta! Now you stay here, while I-"

"You were the one who took out Bardock's team, aren't you?" Vegeta asked.

"What?"

"Bardock's Planet Elite Force. You were the one sent to destroy them, because _they_ had special standing orders. They could have ignored the General Retreat order without official reprimand, so Freeza sent you to destroy them on planet Meat. I learned about this years later, of course, after we killed Guldo. We spooked Ginyu, so I figured it was time to start piecing together what occurred. But you made a mistake, you missed their leader," Vegeta chuckled, "Of course, it all makes sense now. You and Freeza were sloppy!"

Vegeta aimed his hand at Dodoria, "So when the puppet master chooses to reveal himself, I'll present him with your hide to show him I've figured it out!"

"No! NO! FREEZA!"

"BIG BANG ATTACK!"

With a flash, only a few chunks of meat were left of Dodoria. Vegeta stripped a bit of skin off, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Now, then, Bardock...You're either here, waiting for me to become the Super Saiyan, or you're offworld, with something else up your sleeve. Either way, I'll need to get into Freeza's ship to find out. I'll bet that's where Freeza will be keeping his Dragon Balls, too. But first, let's make sure that Freeza doesn't get his hands on all the Dragon Balls."

Vegeta concentrated, and felt the presence of a few dozen Namekians far away.

"Excellent. I'll bet they've got their own Dragon Ball, as well. If I do this right, I'll become the ultimate power in the universe, and then _nobody_ will stand in my way! I'll regain my power, my status, and my pride by the end of this!" Vegeta laughed, and flew into the distance.

XXX

"Hold on!" Krillin called to the Namekian, "Stop here!"

"Huh?" the old Namekian looked back. The aliens were stopping mid-flight, and one of them was looking like he was about to collapse. With Cargo and Dende tucked under each arm, he flew down to where the aliens had stopped.

"This is our camp," Krillin gestured.

"Are you all right, Tien?" Roshi asked, letting the taller man lean on him.

"Yeah, I just...Took a lot out of me, truth me told…" Tien admitted.

"That was a brave thing you all did for us. I don't know how to thank you," the Namekian said.

"Let's get into the cave first, so we're not out in the open," Roshi gestured, leading them inside. At the back of the cave was a Capsule house.

"Bulma, we're back, and we have visitors!" Krillin shouted. The door opened.

"THERE you are! I've been worried sick! You left me alone here! Oh? Who's this? Oh, wow, they really do look like Piccolo!" Bulma said.

"...Look like 'Open'? What?" the old Namekian asked.

"Hmm? Oh, right, that's what that means in your language. Come in, there's plenty of room, make yourselves comfortable! I'll warm up some food!" Bulma gestured for them to follow. The Namekians hesitated, but followed the humans inside.

"Food will not be necessary," the Namekian said, "Water will suffice."

"Nonsense! You're my guest, and I'm a good host," Bulma insisted.

"You do not understand. We Namekians do not require anything more than water and sunshine to function. We only rarely eat food."

"Oh...Okay, well, if you say so," Bulma said, putting some of the trays of food back.

"I must ask you who you are and what you are doing on our planet. Do not mistake me, I am grateful for you saving me and my brothers, but I must know," the Namekian insisted.

"Please excuse our rudeness," Tien said, accepting a class of water from Bulma, "We're from the planet Earth. We're here because some of our friends were killed in a battle, and we had hoped we would be able to gain your trust to borrow your Dragon Balls. See, the Guardian of Earth was a Namekian, and without him, our Dragon Balls don't work, so we need yours to bring him back."

"Wait, you have Dragon Balls, too? I had no idea…" the Namekian said. Tien nodded.

"I'm actually his apprentice. My name is Tienshinhan, I'm a human from Earth. He had hoped to come here himself and meet you all, and learn who he is. He said that he had come to Earth hundreds of years ago on a ship, the same ship we used to come here."

The Namekian nodded, "I am Moori, elder of my village. These are my brothers, Cargo and Dende."

The two younger Namekians nodded to the humans.

"My name is Krillin."

"I'm Roshi."

"And I'm Bulma."

"Thank you for your heroism and generosity. Your story is consistent with our history. You see, hundreds of years ago, our world suffered a terrible drought. Only a few Namekians made it offworld, mostly exiles, though the Grand Elder mentioned that the child of Katas had been one to be sent away. Our Grand Elder was the only survivor. Since then, he has been repopulating our world with our brothers by himself. However, it is a great strain on his body, so soon we will all have to take the responsibility of parenthood…" Moori explained.

"That must have been Kami, before he became Kami," Krillin said.

"So what happened out there?" Bulma asked.

"It was Freeza, the Galactic Emperor," Tien said, "They were slaughtering the Namekians, looking for the Dragon Balls. His power was immense...I was lucky he didn't kill me when I saved Moori."

"Well, on the bright side, we have reinforcements coming!" Bulma said, "Goku and his family are on their way! Just before you got here, my dad said they'd taken off in the third spaceship. They're going to be here in just six days, and they're training their butts off!"

"Who is this Goku?" Moori asked.

"He's the strongest of us," Krillin said, "And he's bringing his whole family! His brother, his mother, and his sister. They're some of the strongest warriors I've ever seen, but Goku is the toughest of all of them! And if they're training together, who KNOWS how strong they're going to be?"

"In the meantime, we have a lot of work ahead of us," Roshi said, "We've got to keep the Namekians safe, and prevent either Freeza or Vegeta from getting their hands on all the Dragon Balls. We can't let that monster become immortal."

"Then you're going to want to speak with the Grand Elder," Moori said, "He has a Dragon Ball. They'll find him eventually, but without him, the Dragon Balls don't work, and only he knows the password. If we hide the Dragon Ball, our enemies won't be able to use them. It gives us a chance."

"I'll look after these two cuties while you're away," Bulma pinched Cargo's cheek.

"Thank you. All of you. If we can save our people, and keep our relics out of the hands of these monsters, it would be my honor to present you with my village's Dragon Ball," Moori said, "For now, let us see the Elder."


	27. Potential Unleashed

_Namek  
December 19, A762_

Vegeta landed in the village, looking around at all the green men. He was a little disappointed he hadn't had the chance to fight the Namekian on Earth who had killed Raditz. Considering how much more powerful the Earthlings had become, he may have been actually entertaining as a fight.

These fools, however, did not seem to be worth much of his time.

"What is that?"

"It's an alien!"

"I wish to speak to your Elder. I believe you have a Dragon Ball that I'll be taking off your hands," Vegeta called out.

"I am the Elder," a plump Namekian said, "But I must ask what you intend to do with it."

Vegeta crossed his arms, "I'm going to assume that you cannot sense my power. So I'll let that slide, but I assure you, it's more than enough for your village. Now where is your Dragon Ball?"

The elder scowled, "I can, in fact, sense your power. And the evil within you. I will not hand over our Dragon Ball to someone like you."

"Then you'll be handing it over to someone even more powerful, and even more evil than I am," Vegeta said, "If you must know, I need your Dragon Balls to achieve a great power. Surely if you can sense me, you've noticed the other villages being wiped out? That's Freeza, and he's here to do much worse to you. So you have a choice: Either give me your Dragon Ball, and I'll keep it out of his hands, or I'll take it from you, and leave your village a wreck after I search for it."

"You're a monster."

"Oh come now. I, at least, have honor. I punish my enemies, but I reward my friends. Once I achieve this power, I will destroy Freeza. If you help me, I'll make sure Namek gets whatever it wants or needs: Riches, power, you name it. But Freeza will destroy you if you cooperate or don't. The truth is, I've already done you a favor telling you Freeza is after the Dragon Balls. If you all run after I've taken what I'm after, some of you might survive. Like I said, I reward my friends. Don't you want to be my friend, Namekian?" Vegeta proposed. The Elder hesitated, before letting out a grunt of frustration.

"If we're going to be friends, may I have your name, then?"

"Only if I can have yours."

"I am Tsuno, Elder and Guardian of the Four Star Ball."

"I am Vegeta, Saiyan warrior and…" Vegeta hesitated before calling himself the 'Prince', "...And an enemy of Freeza."

"Very well. I will give you the ball...Friend Vegeta," Tsuno said.

"But Elder! Surely-" a Namekian warned.

"Begin the evacuation immediately. Our 'friend' has spoken the truth. As much as I hate choosing one evil over another, we have no choice. There is a great darkness upon Namek. Come, Vegeta," Tsuno gestured for him to follow. In Tsuno's quarters, the four-star ball was sitting on a pedestal.

"What, is that it? I could have just strolled in and taken it? Hah! How Freeza has been having trouble with this, I'll never know!" Vegeta remarked.

"Before you take it, tell me of this power," Tsuno said, "This power you believe can defeat Freeza?"

"What do you care?"

"You said you were a Saiyan. I recall the destruction of your homeworld," Tsuno said. Vegeta froze, and turned to him.

"_What did you say?_"

"I wasn't there, of course. But I was restless, and sought to learn more about the Galaxy in my youth. I retained many contacts and friends throughout my travels. Many of them spoke with great relief when they found out the Saiyans were gone. What is this power you seek? What is this secret of the Saiyans?" Tsuno asked.

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who is about to be slaughtered by the Galactic Tyrant," Vegeta said.

"Please, indulge your new friend," Tsuno insisted. Vegeta grunted.

"It is said that every thousand years, a great golden warrior will appear when he is in his Oozaru form. Their power is great, and their skill unmatchable. The last time it occurred, they were consumed by the power."

"And what makes you think _you_ can handle that power, Vegeta?" Tsuno asked, "Is it worth destroying yourself and Namek to defeat Freeza?"

Vegeta hesitated, but took the Dragon Ball, "So long as it destroys Freeza, I will finally be worthy, and that's all that matters to me."

"So nothing matters, so long as you achieve greatness? Nothing else?"

Vegeta glared at Tsuno, "What's the point of this interrogation?"

"Concern for my 'friend,' is all. There's conflict within you, Vegeta. Before you find the Super Saiyan within you, ask yourself: Who, or what, are you seeking to be worthy _of?_"

"You sound like the wench," Vegeta snarled.

"Sounds like a wise wench," Tsuno chuckled, and he left the room.

Vegeta remained behind for a moment, considering. Was that what Gine had been trying to tell him all these years? What was it that she knew? She must be in on Bardock's plans.

"I'll bet Nappa's brat isn't even his," Vegeta chuckled, trying to imagine Nappa's face when finding out Brussa wasn't his daughter, but Bardock's. The only image that ran through his head was memories of Gine's kindness, her delicious meals. Her advice, telling him to consider the team.

Vegeta looked to the door; most Freeza soldiers would have destroyed the village without thinking. He'd just talked them into giving him what he wanted. He'd gone out of his way to let the prisoners on Planet 79 go, even though he had the power to destroy the base with ease. Sure he'd killed Cui and Dodoria, but they were monsters in their own right.

"Damn you woman, you've made me soft!" Vegeta considered destroying the village there and then. But Tsuno's words rang in his mind:

_What are you seeking to be worthy of?_

He didn't have time for these questions. He had Dragon Balls to find. Cursing himself, Vegeta flew out of the building, out of the village, and then out of the bay where Tsuno's village was starting to evacuate.

Vegeta flew back to the area where he killed Dodoria, and dropped the Dragon Ball into a lake. He looked around, feeling sources of energy. It definitely wasn't Freeza or his men; they were not alone on Namek.

"Let's have a peek at who is snooping around," Vegeta muttered, and flew off into the sky.

XXX

"Down!" Tien shouted, flying down to an island, quickly suppressing his energy; the others joined him on the nearest islands, not wanting to clump up in one area, and risk being seen.

"Who is it?" Moori whispered to Krillin.

"It's Vegeta. He's one of the Saiyans who came to Earth. He killed one of our friends, and would have wiped us all out if we hadn't been able to stop him," Krillin asked.

"So, another evildoer on our world," Moori cursed.

"Afraid so," Krillin said, "We might be able to take him between all of us, but it wouldn't be easy. Unfortunately, he seems even more powerful than when we first fought him…"

"I'm not keen on getting blasted by Vegeta again, that's for sure," Roshi said.

They remained hidden while Vegeta looked around, trying to find them. Tien kept his fingers in the Tri-beam formation, aimed straight at Vegeta. He didn't dare spike his energy, but if he needed to, he would be prepared for it.

"Tien! You're still weak!" Roshi hissed to him, "You'd kill yourself!"

"He'd kill us if I don't!" Tien replied. Vegeta's gaze snapped right over to their hiding places; the warriors barely managed to duck behind cover. To their relief, Vegeta turned, and flew into a different direction. When he was gone, they all let out a sigh of relief.

"Damn you, boy!" Roshi said to Tien, "Don't even think of being that reckless! You already got yourself nearly killed with the stunt earlier! And we're all exhausted as it is!"

"Good point. The time here feels funny, like it should be dark already," Krillin said, floating into the air.

"Why would it be dark?" Moori asked as they continued their journey.

"Because of night time? The sun goes down, and you all go to sleep?" Krillin said.

"Which sun?" Moori asked, "We have three. There is always light in the sky."

"So there's no night time?" Roshi sighed, "We'll have to time ourselves so we can get some rest in. We must already be exerting ourselves."

"What are you talking about?" Moori asked.

"We need to rest for part of the day," Tien said, "Or our minds and bodies begin to fray. With no night, when our sky is dark for part of the day, we've gone beyond the time we normally take for that rest. We'll take some time when we get to the Grand Elder's, I think."

"Of course. I'm sorry you've over-extended yourselves," Moori said.

"Nonsense, you couldn't have known. It was our fault for not paying attention," Roshi said.

"Is that it up ahead?" Krillin pointed. There was a house built on top of a thin plateau that was raised high above the islands and waters below.

"Yes, that's it," Moori nodded.

"Jeez, that's pretty in the open. Not much defensibility there…" Krillin noted, and they landed before the Namekian house.

"Elder Moori?" a Namekian called out; there was a group of three standing in front of the house.

"My brothers!" Moori cheered, his arms extended; they embraced.

"We were going to attack the invaders, but then some other alien came in and destroyed most of the invaders! We saw you taking the boys away, are Cargo and Dende all right?" the Namekian asked.

"Yes. These are the aliens who helped us. They're humans, from Earth. I've brought them here to speak with the Grand Elder."

"I'm grateful you've saved my brothers," the Namekian said, "I am Kotai. This is Molsc and Whist. I wish we knew the fate of the Dragon Ball, but when it was clear the village was abandoned, we came straight here."

Krillin pressed on his sunglasses, looking in the direction of their village.

"According to our radar, it's still there. When we're done here, we'll go and get it, and keep it out of Freeza or Vegeta's hands," Tien said.

"Moori," another Namekian called out, stepping out of the house, "Who are these strangers?"

"Nail!" Moori grinned. He walked up to the Namekian, and began to explain the situation.

"Woah! He's a spitting image of Piccolo! I don't believe it!" Tien gasped.

"Spitting image of 'Open'? What?" Molsc asked.

"Long story," Krillin said.

"Very well, Earthlings. You may see the Grand Elder," Nail gestured for them to enter, and led them up.

"Oh, wow! You're the Grand Elder of the Namekians, huh?" Krillin said, a little offput by his massive size.

"I am. It is always good to have friendly visitors, though I sense that not all of Namek's guests are as well-behaved as you," said the Grand Elder, "I am given to believe you are responsible for saving Moori's village. You have my thanks."

Tien bowed to the Grand Elder, "The pleasure is ours, Grand Elder. I am Tienshinhan. This is Master Roshi, and Krillin. We are from Earth. I wish our meeting was under better circumstances."

"I am Guru. If it has not been said already, welcome to Namek, such as it is these days," Guru said, "What brings you to our world, if I may ask?"

"Well, you see, our world was attacked by Saiyans…" Tien said, and he proceeded to explain the situation to the Grand Elder.

"You say Saiyans. Were they Super Saiyans by any change?" Guru asked when Tien was finished, having listened to the story in its entirety.

"I'm...Not sure what that is. What is a Super Saiyan, Grand Elder?" Tien asked.

"Sounds like trouble to me," Krillin remarked.

"Hundreds of years ago, before the Drought, back when I was still a child, the Saiyans had a hero: The Super Saiyan. He traveled the galaxy, destroying the wicked Saiyans across the Galaxy. His power was tremendous, but ultimately, his power consumed him. Had his power been used for evil, however, the Universe itself would be in danger," Guru said.

"The whole universe? The Saiyans are capable of that? Wow, I'd hate to face that kind of power…" Krillin said.

"It is good, then, that you have not encountered one. I sense one Saiyan on our world, and there is darkness and tribulation in his heart. Even the power that is destroying my people would pale in comparison to an evil with the power of the Super Saiyan," Guru said.

"Hmm. We have a lot of work ahead of us, one way or another, then," Roshi said, "If we take one Dragon Ball, we can stop the others from using it."

"True. They will find this place one way or another, and I am on my last days. You must make your wish quickly, Earthling," Guru said, reaching up and taking the Dragon Ball at the crown of his throne. He handed it to Krillin.

"Thank you, Grand Elder. I wish Kami were here to meet you. He would have been honored," Tien said.

"It would be my honor to meet the child of Katas. Before you leave, I sense great potential in all of you. Please, indulge an old man, and allow me to pull forth your potential; with this, you may tap into power you have had hidden, unknown and dormant," Guru offered.

"Would that shorten your own life, Grand Elder?" Guru asked.

"No. The power is your own; I am only releasing the floodgates, as it were. Allow me to place my hand upon you," Guru reached out, and rest his hand on Tien's head.

"I sense there is still darkness within you, as well, human. It is slight, but take care to remain wary of it, Tienshinhan. I believe your word and cause to be true, but you still have more about yourself you must discover," Guru's voice said in Tien's head.

"Darkness? What kind of darkness do I still hold? I have worked so hard to better myself, what is it that I am still holding onto?" Tien asked.

"Anger, and pain. It is not close to the surface, but remains one of your core drives, to hold yourself above it. But once you confront it, and let go, you will finally be true to yourself, and free," Guru told him. A well of power bubbled to the surface, and Tien suddenly felt energized and alive.

"Oh, wow! Unreal!" Tien panted.

"Tien?" Krillin said.

"My gosh, this is amazing!" Roshi couldn't help but step back from the power emanating from Tien.

"I feel _incredible!_" Tien laughed.

"Yes. You can win in the battles to come, but no matter how great you feel, your enemies can, too. Be mindful of your opponents," Guru warned.

"Of course, Grand Elder."

"Now, you, Krillin," Guru gestured to him. Krillin, unaware of the conversation Tien had with Guru, did not have a similar exchange.

"Is _this_ what you're feeling, Tien? I almost can't believe it! Haha!" Krillin jumped in place.

"Do, uh, do I get a turn?" Roshi asked. Guru gestured him over.

"Oh, my. You have been sitting on a great amount of power for a very long time. What holds you back, my brother?" Roshi heard in his head.

"I don't know what you mean."

"There is no need for deceptions here, brother. You have long been a defender of your world, of your ways. Yet, when the world needed you the most, you hesitated. You are holding yourself back. Why do you fear your own power?"

Roshi hesitated, "I saw what power did to Shen. I knew from the beginning of our rivalry that I could have surpassed him at any time. I didn't want that power to consume me, and yet...When it was clear that not even my greatest student could defeat the Saiyans on his own, I stepped up for the first time since King Piccolo's return. I should have let my fear go back then, I should have let it go with Raditz, and then with Vegeta, then we might not be in this mess!"

Roshi clenched his fist in the real world without realizing.

"Guru, will you help me?"

"There are temptations you allow yourself to fall prey to. A twist on your real desires, your real fear. Before you can truly achieve your full potential, you must let them go. But, your fear of power, that, I can help with. Though you are not pure, your heart is true, brother. Go, release that power, and use it for both our worlds!" Guru declared.

With a flash of light, Roshi felt his own apprehensions, the image of Shen and Tao, of Tien and Chiaotzu's dark journey, the failures of King Piccolo...Even Roshi's fear of Goku turning away from the man he had become...It all just left.

"M-Master Roshi?" Krillin took a step back from him.

"Thank you, brother," Roshi said.

"And to you, as well, brother," Guru said.

"Boys, take the Namekians back to the cave, and find the Dragon Balls. Keep them away from Freeza's men," Roshi instructed, picking at the tape that kept his staff in one piece.

"What...What are you going to do?" Tien asked.

"I've got to go help an enemy," Roshi said. He dropped down to the first floor, and stepped out of the house. Roshi took a deep breath, and leaped over the horizon.

XXX

"I've been a fool," Vegeta coughed, with Zarbon holding him.

"Yes," the monstrous Zarbon chuckled, "You have. Now, it's gotten you killed."

Zarbon lifted Vegeta up, and tensed, about to throw Vegeta to the ground, when something impacted him, slamming him and Vegeta to the ground. Roshi hopped off Zarbon, landing next to them.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Having a bit of a scuffle, boys?" Roshi leaned on his staff.

"I don't know who you are," Zarbon hissed, "But you've made a _lethal_ mistake!"

Vegeta groaned, and started crawling away.

"Did your mother teach you not to play with your food, boy?" Roshi asked, "You've got Vegeta beaten. There's no reason to keep hurting him."

"I'll do as I please, so long as it gets Lord Freeza what he wants!" Zarbon said, "But killing you, that pleasure will be all mine!"

Roshi grinned, "You're welcome to try."

Zarbon opened with a blast from his mouth, which Roshi sidestepped. Zarbon fired again and again, missing each time as Roshi sidestepped, ducked, and weaved through the barrage, until he reached Zarbon himself.

"You should see a doctor about your skin, it looks _nasty_," Roshi said, "And about that bruise."

"Bruise, what?"

Roshi clocked Zarbon across the face, sending him onto his back.

"I've seen a lot of talented fighters in my day, you know. The best my world has had to offer," Roshi said, approaching Zarbon, "And some that other worlds have had to offer. But I'll admit, you're something else."

Zarbon charged Roshi, but the old man grabbed Zarbon's arm, twisting it over and up, and pinning him to the ground with his sandaled foot.

"Wh-what is this?" Vegeta growled, "I nearly killed you on Earth! First Nappa, now this old man?"

"With age comes wisdom, boy," Roshi said, pulling his foot back and kicking Zarbon in the back and into the drink. Roshi looked to Vegeta.

"And I am, if nothing else, old."

"You're a fool if you think this changes _anything_, Earthling!" Vegeta managed to stand.

"On the contrary," Roshi looked up at Zarbon, who had floated out of the water, "I think we're at the beginning of change on Namek."

"Whoever you are," Zarbon seethed, "You've only begun to see the wrath of the Freeza Force!"

"I wouldn't think your boss is the forgiving type," Roshi said, "What are you going to tell him? That you got your butt kicked by an old man? I wouldn't believe you, that's for sure!"

Zarbon just let out angry grunts.

"See, that's what I thought. There's more where that came from, but you go ahead and tell your boss that Namek is under the protection of Roshi, the Turtle Master. If you dare hurt anyone else on this planet, you'll find out why the Turtle School is the greatest martial art on Earth, hear me?" Roshi called out to Zarbon. With a grunt, Zarbon turned back to his humanoid form.

"Oh, he'll hear of it," Zarbon snarled, and he flew off. Roshi spun around, and faced Vegeta, who flinched.

"Are you okay, boy?"

"Get away from me, Earthling!" Vegeta hissed.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'. Listen, if you're done getting your butt handed to you, we could use your help dealing with this Freeza guy," Roshi said, "I'm pretty sure I can handle any of his minions at this point, but the big buy himself will be one tough cookie. We're going to need your help getting the better of him. What do you say?"

Roshi held out his hand to Vegeta, who recoiled. Roshi smirked.

"We've got plenty of food. I'll bet after the day you've had, you're famished."

"How did you get that powerful so quickly? It's only been a month!" Vegeta demanded.

"Ah, well, you know. Sit ups, pull ups, juice. Come with me, and I'll see where you're at, boy. There's always room for one more at the Turtle School," Roshi said. Vegeta hesitated, but stood.

"Fine. Lead the way."


	28. Battleship of Doom

_Space  
December 20, A762_

Raditz and Goku pressed upon each other's hands. There was a white line on the ground in the chamber. Both Saiyans poured sweat as they tried to push themselves over the line, but they were too equally matched. Despite his height and weight advantage, Raditz was completely unable to get his brother to bend or break. With a breath and a heave, Raditz twisted his arms and made another heave, and this time actually got Goku to slide back a bit.

"I have you now!" Raditz declared.

"Hello boys!" a voice called in their heads, causing the brothers to lose balance, and they both fell onto the ground.

"King Kai? What is it, we're training!" Raditz growled.

"Of course you are," King Kai grunted, "I just wanted to call in and let you know that I've got some guests."

"Huh? Guests?" Goku asked, sitting up.

"Yup! Four of them. They really trounced your record on Snake Way, too, Goku. You've got some hefty competition!" King Kai said.

"Uh...Well, good luck to them, if they're going to train," Goku said. Raditz groaned.

"Kakarot, think about this for a moment: Who has recently died who we expect to come back to life, and would benefit from King Kai's training?" Raditz asked. Goku stared at him for a moment.

"...Well it wasn't _you…_"

Raditz facepalmed.

"Yeah, just put your hand on my shoulder," King Kai said.

"Hey, Kakarot. Sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you on Earth. I guess I got a bit ahead of myself," a voice Goku didn't recognize said.

"Oh, hello, uh…"

"Meys! You made it to King Kai's?" Raditz said.

"Yup! We met Earth's guardian after we died. Come on, guys, say hi to Kakarot," Meys said.

"Hey Goku," Yamcha said.

"Oh! Yamcha! Duh, of course it's you! How you doing?"

"Oh, well, you know. Dead…"

"Oh. Right."

"But hey! We're all here for King Kai's training! Meys, Piccolo, Yajirobe, and I!" Yamcha said.

"Wait, Yajirobe's there? I didn't even know he died!" Goku said.

"That was a cheap shot by your buddy!" Yajirobe growled.

"Well, don't you worry, guys. We're on our way to Namek. I know it'll be _super_ dangerous, but we'll get it done!" Goku said.

"Wait, why is it dangerous on Namek?" Yamcha asked.

"Lord Freeza is there, also hunting for the Dragon Balls," Raditz said.

"_WHAT?_ Did you say Freeza? No, no, no, Goku, Raditz, you _cannot_ go near him!" King Kai bellowed.

"Don't you think we know that, King Kai? I've grown up my whole life knowing the monster I worked for was the same one that slaughtered my people! We're going to get you back to life, but I'm not letting Freeza go unscathed," Raditz vowed.

"Raditz, you _cannot_ fight Freeza! Promise me you'll-DAMMIT RADITZ STOP RECITING TECHNICAL MANUALS AT ME!" King Kai bellowed.

"Don't worry, King Kai. We're all training, together. We'll be strong enough to take on Freeza. Like mom says: Together."

"No, Goku, please! Don't!"

"King Kai, you taught us Kaioken for a reason. We beat Vegeta. I know Freeza is a lot stronger. But we've got to try. Otherwise, everyone's just going to keep being afraid. And if we fail, there will be someone else. But we can't give up. Our priority is still the Dragon Balls. Once we have them, we'll have layers of chances. So train up, everyone! I'm counting on you!" Goku said.

"You've got it, Goku!" Yamcha said.

"When we're all alive and back on Earth, Kakarot, you and I are going to test the Kaioken against each other, hear me?" Meys said.

"I'm looking forward to it," Goku said.

"Tell Brussa I said hello. And...Tell her I said sorry," Meys said.

"I will."

"Oh, and Goku, tell your mother, at least from me, no hard feelings," Yamcha added, "Just so long as you get us and the others back to Earth in one piece."

"I will. See you soon, Yamcha."

"You too, Goku."

There was a knock at their chamber door. Raditz pushed his brother off of him, and opened it; Brussa was there with a serious look.

"What's going on? Aren't you training with Chi Chi?" Raditz asked.

"We've got a situation. We might be in for a fight."

"What kind of fight?" Goku asked.

"The kind where we're disintegrated in the void of space," Brussa said, "We just bumped into a Freeza Force battleship, and they're demanding we identify ourselves. Come on."

"Aw, man, we just got to fifty times gravity, too!" Goku groaned. At the command console, Gine had an orange alien on the line.

"I repeat, unidentified attack pod, identify yourself, or be destroyed!" the alien demanded.

"I haven't responded yet, but they've got us locked on. Any ideas, Raditz?" Gine asked.

"I say we let them take us into their hangar, and then we take over _their_ ship! A Battleship is _way_ faster than our ship!" Brussa said.

"Oh, I like that idea," Goku admitted.

"Yeah, well, what do we _say_ to get them-hold on," Gine held up a finger, and sent a non-visual message, "Freeza Force battleship, please stand by, uh, technical difficulties."

"Well there we go. Say we've taken damage, and we're on our way for repairs. What's the closest base?" Brussa asked, checking the astromap, "Freeza Planet 79. Aw, damn, we just passed it, too! Maybe say our navigation is on the fritz?"

"That might work," Gine nodded, and turned to her boys, "Get ready to fight out way out the main door."

"You got it, mom!" Goku said, racing Raditz to the main door.

"Chi Chi! Gohan! Battlestations!" Gine called over the PA.

"Ready?" Brussa asked. Gine nodded.

"Attention Freeza Force Battleship. We have taken damage, and are on our way to Freeza Planet 79 for medical attention and repairs," Gine said. There was a silence.

"What model is your vessel? It doesn't match any of our records."

"Uh, experimental. Top secret stuff. You're to, uh, tractor our vessel into a secure hangar and drop us off at Freeza Planet 79 immediately. Code...Uh...TH-11-3X8-Bravo," Gine said, trying to remember the code that Bardock used for his black ops.

There was silence again.

"It's an older code, but it checks out," the other officer was heard muttering. Another pause.

"Shut down your engines, and prepare to board our vessel through a hangar."

Gine let out a sigh of relief. Brussa slowed and cut the engines of their ship. A moment later, the ship shook, and they were brought in with the tractor beam. All six inhabitants took positions near the drop ramp to the vessel, waiting for the process to finish.

"Come out with your weapons down and your hands up!" a voice called. Raditz struck the emergency open button, forcing the door to open suddenly. All six warriors burst out of the ship, taking a different target and handily snatching their weapons or striking them unconscious. Within moments, the goons were dealt with, and the hangar was dealt with.

"Your deception hasn't fooled us! You won't get your grubby hands back on this vessel! Down with Freeza! For the revolution! For the Saiyan race!" someone on the PA declared.

"Wait a minute," Raditz picked up one of the soldiers, "Mother, do you see this?"

"That's the symbol of the Saiyan Royal house," she said. The same symbol was painted on the door of the hangar.

"Your wretched tyrant has caused me enough suffering!" the voice called out over the PA. The hangar door opened, and a Saiyan stood there, wearing dark blue battle armor and a red scouter. The Saiyan Royal symbol was painted on his chest.

He otherwise looked nearly identical to Goku, aside from a bit of extra bulk, and the fact he was covered in scars.

"Bardock?" Gine gasped. The Saiyan fired Ki blasts, forcing them to take cover.

"Do you know this guy, mom?" Brussa asked.

"No, but he looks just like Bardock!"

"Well right now he's pissing me off!" Raditz said. Goku, however, jumped over his cover, attracting the Saiyan's fire, which Goku deftly dodged by running up and along the wall, before jumping off and landing his fist on the Saiyan's face, knocking him out.

"Captain! Damn you!" more soldiers had arrived, and were aiming blasters. Goku held up the 'captain', pulled the Scouter off his face, and tossed it to Raditz.

"Stand down! We have your Captain! Put down your weapons, or we'll execute him!" Raditz threatened.

"What? No we won't!" Goku said, "I've already beaten him!"

"Well _they_ don't need to hear that!" Raditz snarled.

"We're not with Freeza!" Brussa waved her arms to them, and pointed to their ship, "This is a misunderstanding! See? No Freeza symbols!"

The soldiers hesitated.

"Let the Captain go!" one of the soldiers said. Goku dropped him.

"Hold on a minute! These guys are Saiyans!" another soldier said.

"What? Oh man you're right, they have tails! Some of them, do, anyway!"

"That one looks just like the Captain!"

"What's going on?"

"Ugh! My head!" the captain groaned, "What happened?"

"Hey, man, sorry about that. You were shooting at us something fierce, so I had to knock you out," Goku said to him, and he offered his hand to him, "My name's Goku, what's yours?"

"Uh...Captain Turles…" he took Goku's hand, and stood, "You're...Not killing me?"

"Nope! This was a big ole mix-up!" Goku laughed, "Sorry about that!"

"You look...Just like me," Turles rubbed at his head, "Are you Bardock?"

"Huh? No, that's my dad. I was going to ask you why you looked just like me!"

"Well, that's a long story. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. You're damn strong, Goku."

"Hey, thanks! We've been training up a storm in the gravity chamber!"

"Why don't you all join me for a meal," Turles gestured, "While I get some ice on this bump."

Goku started to follow him.

"Are we seriously just going to follow him?" Chi Chi asked.

"Well maybe they have some fresh food. Premade meals can only go so far," Raditz said.

"I'll say! And if he tries anything, I can kick his butt!" Brussa said, following Goku. Chi Chi sighed, and followed, with Gohan at her side.

"Have I mentioned how much I like your hair, Gohan? It's almost like mine!" Raditz said.

"Thanks, Uncle Raditz!"

Turles led them to the Captain's Quarters, which were sparse, despite their size. It was clear this room was meant to impress and intimidate, with its circular design, view of the stars, and even a throne for the captain. A table had been brought in with some chairs, and was covered with papers. There was a mat on the floor in the corner. A second table with a couple more chairs was folded up against a wall. Turles unfolded them, and called for a Yeoman to bring food for seven on the PA. Turles pressed an ice pack against his head.

"Okay. So, I'm Captain Turles. This is our Battleship. We just hijacked it this morning, so there's only so much we've got ready. I didn't know there were other Saiyan escapees."

"Escapees? No, we're coming from Ear-" Goku started, but Chi Chi jabbed him in the chest with her elbow.

"We're from somewhere else. Survivors of the attack on Planet Vegeta," Chi Chi said.

"Oh, really? I thought it was just the other abductees and myself," Turles said.

"Abductees?" Gine asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah. Freeza didn't get all the Saiyans. His people have been experimenting on us for years. Torture, vivisection, genetic manipulation. In my case, cloning," Turles said.

"_Cloning?_" Gine gasped. Turles nodded.

"My 'father' is a low-class warrior named Bardock. Before Freeza decided to destroy Vegeta, me and my Crusher Corps were used for black-ops missions. They were recording my progress throughout my career. But afterward, the Ginyu Force hunted me down, killed my men, and I've been Doctor Kikono's plaything ever since."

Gine held her hands to her mouth, while the others just gawked at him. Turles looked between them.

"...What?"

"My name is Raditz. Son of Bardock. This is my brother, Kakarot, also the son of Bardock. And...This is our mother, Gine," Raditz said. Turles lowered the ice pack from his head.

"...Oh."

"Excuse me," Gine stood and stepped out of the quarters. Chi Chi walked after her. Turles couldn't help but watch them leave.

"I guess this makes for a bit of a family reunion then, huh?" Turles sighed, "What are the odds, huh? I'm going to be honest, six high power levels in what looked like a weird attack pod, we thought you were the Ginyu Force. I thought our rebellion was over before we even reached Namek."

"Okay, _that's_ weird, because we're _also _going to Namek," Brussa said.

"Well if your objective is to kill Freeza, it's not that weird, because that's what we're on our way to do. See, this ship has a planet-cracker cannon. Built in secret by King Cold, in case the Freeza Force needed to blow up a planet without high-class warriors," Turles explained, "But Freeza forbade such weapons, because they could incidentally be used to kill _him._ So, when Freeza Planet 79 had a revolt from its prisoners, the King had this baby sent to put it down, since Freeza's nowhere near us.

"Now, while Vegeta, who started the damn riot, may have taken off, they didn't expect _me,_ and they didn't have a power level over ten thousand on this ship. And since Doctor Kikono decided I was his guinea pig to test the limits of the Zenkai and Saiyan biology, I was able to take it from them without much trouble. You, though…"

Turles re-applied the ice pack.

"You're something else."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Goku rubbed his neck.

"Pff, I'm almost as tough as Kakarot and Raditz!" Brussa insisted.

"We can't let you destroy Namek," Gohan said. Turles looked down to him.

"Why not?"

"Because our friends are there! And there's Namekians who live there! We need to collect the Dragon Balls, and bring our friends back to life!" Gohan said. Turles scowled.

"So the rumors of the Dragon Balls are true? They're real?" Turles asked. Goku nodded.

"Yeah, we have them back on-uh, where we're from. We're on our way to bring back some friends of ours, and maybe beat Freeza while we're at it," Goku said.

"With a punch like yours, you just might," Turles chuckled, "If I had gotten the damn Tree of Might, I could have bidden my time, and built up my power. But the Ginyu Force destroyed it, and my opportunity to surpass Freeza."

"There's plenty of chances to get stronger! There's _always_ someone stronger. You just have to train and get better! Never stop improving!" Goku said.

"Turles?" Gine called out, returning with Chi Chi, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. This is weird for all of us."

"Besides, Turles, do you really want to kill Freeza with a weapon?" Raditz asked, "We should show him the might of the Saiyan race."

"Together," Gine said.

Turles considered, and inhaled.

"No. I'll give you a _chance._ But if I think it's going south, I'm blasting Namek, with Freeza on it. That's not to say I won't help. We'll help you out. But Freeza dies, no matter what, and no matter the cost," Turles vowed.

"Then Gohan and I are staying on the ship. We're not getting into a battlefield," Chi Chi insisted.

"That's not a good idea," Gine said, "First of all, you and Gohan are some of the most powerful fighters in the Galaxy, alongside us. We're going to need you. Second, Freeza and his men are going to attack this ship once it gets there. It's more likely to be captured or destroyed than it is to blow up Namek. It's actually _safer_ on Namek, with Freeza, than it is up here, because Freeza's fleet can still outgun it."

Turles re-adjusted the ice pack, and nodded, "As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. Everyone on board has accepted that this is probably a suicide mission. The longer we wait once we get there, the more of a chance we'll be defeated."

"Then we've got a time limit: Get the Dragon Balls, and defeat Freeza!" Raditz declared, "How long until we get to Namek?"

Turles shrugged, "About eighteen hours."

"Kakarot, do you think we can beat a hundred times gravity in under a day?"

Goku punched his palm, "I think we can try!"

"A hundred times gravity? What are you talking about?" Turles asked.

"After food," Brussa announced as the Yeoman presented them with a fully cooked meal, and the Saiyans started to dig in.


	29. Cause to Fight

_Dragon Warrior Camp, Namek  
December 20, A762_

Vegeta watched Roshi's jumps; the old man, who could fly, was jumping from island to island, and was still outpacing Vegeta, who was more powerful right now than he'd ever been. It was everything Vegeta had to avoid screaming. The beating he'd received from Zarbon didn't help, though. He'd prefer to spend a bit of time in a healing pod, though last time he'd done that it was intended to be his prison.

Finally, the old man stopped jumping, and gestured to a cave, "We're here."

Vegeta landed, rolling his shoulders.

"All right, old man. Let's talk," Vegeta said. Roshi said nothing, only walking to the cave.

"Bulma, I'm back! I brought another guest!" Roshi called out.

"Oh, another Namekian? I've got the water filter going like cra-AZY! ROSHI! IS THAT VEGETA?!" a human shrieked, stepping out of a house in the cave.

"Yep. Don't worry, I can handle him if he tries anything. Don't touch the girl, or any of the Namekians, boy, or you'll regret it," Roshi instructed Vegeta.

"I'm only interested in your power and your Dragon Balls," Vegeta said.

"And here I thought it was our food that got you to follow me," Roshi chuckled, "Bulma, could we get some trays microwaved for our new guest, please?"

"Do I look like a cook?" Bulma sneered.

"All right, fine, I'll do it myself," Roshi grumbled, stepping inside. Vegeta followed them inside, and looked around the human domicile. It wasn't too different from the quarters he was used to, though it had much more personal room. There was a pair of Namekian children with chips and cards.

"Are you teaching them poker, Bulma?" Roshi asked.

"Yeah. It's taking a while," Bulma sighed.

"Why's that?"

"Whenever one of us gets ahead, they share their pot. It'd be pissing me off if it wasn't so cute," Bulma said. The microwave beeped, and Roshi handed Vegeta a plate and some chopsticks. Vegeta found a seat, and rapidly chowed through it. By the time he was done, Roshi handed him a second plate.

"I'm never gonna get used to seeing the Saiyan appetite," Roshi muttered.

"By the way, the others called in, and told me they were resting at Guru's. How'd you get back so fast?" Bulma asked.

"Yes. Explain, old man!" Vegeta said with a full mouth. Roshi huffed.

"Boy, I'm over three hundred years old. I've dedicated my entire life to studying the art of fighting, of perfecting my body and mind. You've dedicated yourself to slaughter and war. If you want to achieve my level, and go beyond, you have a lot to accept and change. You're full of shame and anger. Broken pride and sorrow. You're a hollow man, Vegeta. But until you accept that, you'll still be holding yourself back. You'll never truly be a warrior in any way that matters," Roshi said.

"That's just a bunch of noise I've heard a hundred times on a hundred worlds from pathetic fools too weak to defend themselves! Just because it comes from you doesn't mean a damn thing to me," Vegeta said, "I want to know how you and Nappa surpassed me!"

"By _working_ for it. If Nappa managed to surpass you, it's because he's been putting himself through the training of his life on that ship with Tao Pai Pai. But there are other factors, things that are holding you back. Nappa's working through them, one by one. He's using martial arts to clear his mind, and discover who he truly is! What he truly wants."

"What he wants to be worthy of," Vegeta muttered.

"Hmm?"

Vegeta clenched his fist.

"I don't have anything left, old man. All I have is becoming stronger. Maybe to destroy Freeza. Maybe to become the best again, I don't know."

"That's the truth about Martial Arts, boy: To make yourself better. Get some rest, boy. We'll need our strength for what's to come."

Vegeta hesitated, and nodded.

"First?" Bulma interjected, "Baths. _You_ smell like a toothpaste factory that's been turned into a gym, and _you_ just smell like an old man."

"How dare-" Vegeta started to snap.

"That sounds wonderful, Bulma, thank you for the suggestion," Roshi interrupted, "You first, Vegeta. I'm gonna clear out these sprouts in a couple rounds of poker."

XXX

_Guru's Hut, Namek  
December 20, A762_

"Nail! Do you sense that?" Kotai said.

"I do," Nail said, crossing his arms.

"It's headed straight for us," Molc said.

"Get inside. I'll handle this," Nail said.

Zarbon stopped in midair, and looked down at the Namekians.

"Can you imagine my luck? More Namekians! Hah!" Zarbon landed in front of Nail, "I'll bet you've got a Dragon Ball, there's no other reason to build a house in some place so ridiculous! Lord Freeza may be furious with me over my failure to bring Vegeta in, but if I return with another Dragon Ball, he may forgive me! So, Namekian, you're going to make this _real_ easy on me: You're going to hand over your Dragon Ball, tell me where to find the last of your villages, and I'll be sure to kill you nice and quick!"

Nail looked Zarbon up and down, "You're already injured."

"I'm more than enough for the likes of you! I might be high on stims, but I've got more than enough power to _take_ what I want! Now _hand over the Dragon Ball before I get angry!_" Zarbon hissed. His arm twitched, bulging out a bit before he took control of his transformation. Nail shook his head.

"If you fear your master so much, I suggest hiding until this crisis is over. You will not survive a battle with me," Nail said.

"_Did you not understand me, creature?"_ Zarbon's face transformed, "_I will rip you to pieces and feed them to you if you don't give me the Dragon Ball!_"

"Your rage is going to destroy you. Calm down, before-"

With a gurgling roar, Zarbon turned into his beastly form, firing a Ki blast from his mouth, which Nail deflected away from the house. Zarbon leaped up to come down upon him with a punch, but Nail caught Zarbon's arm and slammed him into the ground.

"This is a holy place. We should not fight here," Nail said. Zarbon gurgled and growled at him incoherently. Nail raised his foot and came down upon Zarbon's head, intending to kill him quickly, but Zarbon caught Nail's foot in his mouth and bit down, tearing flesh off.

Zarbon pulled, trying to take Nail down to the ground, but Nail landed a punch on Zarbon's sternum, causing him to spit out the chunks of foot he had tried to swallow.

With Zarbon still holding on his leg, Nail rotated his leg up and over, slamming Zarbon into the ground, repeating the motion and leaving dents in the ground each time, until Zarbon's grip slipped, and he fell off Nail's leg. Zarbon clawed at the ground to slow and stop his momentum, and he leaped at Nail.

Nail punched up, causing Zarbon to cough blood. With a rotation of his arms, Nail tossed Zarbon off the side of the cliff. As he fell, Nail fired a Ki blast onto his enemy. A trail of smoke showed Zarbon's trail as he fell straight into the river below.

Nail followed Zarbon with his senses; he was not dead, but quite unconscious, and would not be a problem for them for some time.

XXX

_Dragon Warrior Camp, Namek  
December 21, A762_

Vegeta kept punching, trying to land a blow on Roshi. Each one was deflected with a simple swat of Roshi's hands. Food, a bath, and sleep had done more for Vegeta than he'd expected after Zarbon's beating. Just being around Roshi gave him a second wind, Vegeta realized, and it drove him to train with the old man, faster and harder than he expected.

As the Prince, Vegeta had only expected battle to increase his power, aside from his natural potential. Training was the purview of the lower classes. Some of them were too weak to bother with at all, and those who were either desperate, like Gine or Raditz, just received beatings for their Zenkai to bring them up to where they needed to be.

But to Vegeta's surprise, he realized he _enjoyed _this simulated battle. He didn't want to _kill_ Roshi-well, that wasn't entirely true, but what seemed like a _game_ was pushing Vegeta to speed and concentration he didn't really know he had.

The two Namekian boys were practicing alongside them, mimicking the exercise Roshi was putting Vegeta through as if it were a game. They had taken to it quickly, and whenever one of them managed to land a blow, they would switch who was attacking.

For a split second, Vegeta twitched to look at the oncoming powers headed towards them, but Roshi enforced Vegeta's concentration with a slap on the scar on his forehead.

"Concentrate on me!" Roshi commanded. Vegeta doubled his efforts, infuriated by the insult, which only ended with more slaps. Krillin, Tien, and Moori arrived, their powers altered and holding the One-Star Dragon Ball.

"Roshi? What are you doing with Vegeta?" Tien asked.

"I'm training him," Roshi said, slapping away Vegeta's hand.

"Yeah, but _why_?" Krillin asked. Vegeta did not expect Roshi to catch his hand, twist his wrist, slip his foot under Vegeta's foot, and flip him on his ass.

"I was waiting on you three," Roshi said, "I sense you've had your potential unlocked, as well, Moori?"

"Yes," Moori said, "I can now heal those who are injured in battle. We have a great boon this day. I also have the password for the Dragon Balls."

"Excellent. Vegeta's still a bit beaten from his fight yesterday. Would you do him a favor, and heal him up, then? We have a long day ahead of us," Roshi requested.

"I thought you said Vegeta was one of the people we were trying to keep the Dragon Balls from?" Moori asked.

"Vegeta won't be a problem in that regard, I've got him handled," Roshi said, "And we're going to need his help with what's to come."

"You don't mean to say we're going to fight Freeza already? We're not strong enough!" Tien said. Roshi grunted.

"I might be. I don't know. But that's not what I'm talking about. Something else is approaching, and fast. The battle for this planet is about to get even more intense. We're going to need Vegeta at his best, by our side, if we're going to deal with it, and with Freeza, for that matter," Roshi explained.

"What is it you're sensing?" Vegeta asked, standing up, "I don't sense anything."

"I can't quite tell, not yet. It's on its way. But I don't think it's going to be very friendly."

"Well, I still don't trust Vegeta," Tien said, "He's the reason Meys is dead, and if we hadn't stopped him, he's been doing to Earth what Freeza is doing to Namek. He can't be trusted."

"Normally I'm with you all the way, Master Roshi, but I'm with Tien here," Krillin agreed.

"There's still great darkness within him. His ambition is a liability," Moori said.

"I can show you where to get another Dragon Ball," Vegeta said, "If the old man is right about what's coming, we need a plan, and that starts with the Dragon Balls. And if my _darkness_ is anything to worry about, know that I _could_ have taken the Four-star ball and killed everyone in the village. _That_ would have been standard procedure. Instead, I warned them about Freeza. Now your Namekian friends don't know where the ball is, and are useless to Freeza. He won't bother with them."

"Tsuno's village is alive?" Moori said with a note of relief in his voice, "That's wonderful!"

"Elder Moori, what about the ball in our village?" Dende asked.

"Yes, I never did tell them where it was. Unlike Tsuno, I kept the ball hidden. Without their Scouters, they might not have found it, and without enough men, may have given up the search. It may be worth checking out," Moori nodded.

"I'll go with Vegeta to make sure he keeps true to his word," Tien said.

"I'll go with Moori to his village," Krillin said, handing Dende and Cargo the Dragon Ball."

"I'll remain here, and make sure the Dragon Ball remains safe. I'll work Bulma and try to come up with a plan to get the rest," Roshi said.

"Sounds like a plan," Tien nodded, glancing at Vegeta.

"First, healing," Vegeta said, who glared at Moori.

"Here's a lesson for you, Vegeta: _Manners,_" Roshi said to him. Vegeta scrunched his nose in a snarl to Roshi, and looked back to Moori.

"_Please._"

"For protecting my people and helping us, I will heal you," Moori said, laying his hands upon Vegeta. His bruises disappeared, and his posture improved.

"Now what do we say?" Roshi said.

Vegeta seethed, but still managed to hiss out a "_Thank you_."

"Meet back here, and we'll sort out how to deal with the Dragon Balls," Roshi said, taking the Dragon Ball from Krillin, "Come on, boys, I've got a bit more training for you."


	30. Beasts of Nudal

_Dodoria Battle Area, Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Here," Vegeta pointed, and they flew down to the ground, "I dropped the Dragon Ball down here in the water. Without Scouters, and with this area already being abandoned, they wouldn't think to look here, but I'll _always_ remember where I killed Dodoria."

"That's pretty sick," Tien said with a sneer.

"Dodoria was pretty sick," Vegeta said, "I'll grab the Dragon Ball, and we'll be on our way."

"No funny business. My Scouter can see where the Dragon Ball is, and it's always transmitting to Bulma, _and_ Roshi," Tien said, tapping his sunglasses. Vegeta rolled his eyes, and dove into the water. Tien stood to attention, sensing something. He turned, and heard growling. He scanned the area, but saw nothing.

He looked up.

Three of the beasts they'd encountered were snarling at him from up on the cliff, and they were _much_ more powerful than the first ones. They had armor around their chests, similar in design to the armor the soldiers wore, and they had what were clearly cameras attached to their collars.

"Hah! Here it is! And you didn't trust me!" Vegeta said, emerging from the water.

"We've got a problem," Tien said, staring at the beasts. Vegeta's eyes went wide.

"Are those..._Demsu?_"

XXX

_Ruins of Moori's Village, Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Sorry about your village," Krillin said when they found the village. They stood on the same ledge where they'd spied on Freeza before. It was abandoned, aside from the bodies of the slain Namekians, who had been left where they lay.

"The buildings are just objects. It is the destruction of the trees that I mourn. A lifetime's worth of work, uprooted and destroyed...Our world was once covered in their forests, teeming with life. It will be another generation before we can recover," Moori lamented.

"I'm sorry. You'd like Earth, it's covered in trees in places. Deserts, too, but even they have life. There are plains of green grass that go on for miles in places," Krillin said.

"It sounds beautiful. I'd like to visit, when this is over," Moori said.

"We'd love to have you, but there's not much room at Master Roshi's anymore," Krillin said, "So where's this Dragon Ball?"

Moori jumped down from the cliff, next to the pit that was made by the Kikoho.

"In here," Moori gestured to the building he was standing next to, unable to look away from the bodies of his people. Krillin peeked his head in.

"I don't see it."

"I've hidden it well," Moori said, approaching where the floor met the wall deeper inside the house. He pried some bricks out of the floor, and pulled the Dragon Ball out of its case, "I hid it as soon as I felt the invaders arrive. I am glad I did."

"Good thinking ahead," Krillin took the Dragon Ball, "Let's get out of here before we get spotted."

"I think we're too late for that," Mori said, "One of the bodies is missing, and something is stalking us."

"Oh, no…"

Moori stepped around the building, and found the body. It was benign devoured by a purple hairless four-legged beast with a fin-like fringe running down its back. The ebast had armor covering its chest that resembled the Freeza Force's armor. It looked up, and it growled at Moori. Its fin expanded in a clear gesture of dominance and hostility.

"This is very not good," Krillin said, taking off into the sky. For Ki blasts started firing at him from the destroyed village, forcing him to duck and weave and, inevitably, land.

"Okay, we're going to need a new plan. Can you fight?" Krillin asked.

"I'll have to."

"All right," Krillin set down the Dragon Ball, "Let's do this."

The beasts charged at Krillin, who charged back to keep them away from Moori. Krillin could sense that, together, the four beasts were much stronger than he was, so his focus was on dodging and only hitting them when he needed to. Mostly, he kept on the defensive and prevented them from changing targets.

Moori aimed his hand at the nearest of the beasts and fired a Ki blast, leaving a mark on its armor. It snarled at Moori, but a kick from Krillin got its attention.

The four beasts sparked Ki from their teeth, but instead of firing as expected, the beasts seemed to 'kiss' each other, the glow in their mouths getting brighter, until it reached the fourth beast, which charged straight at Krillin, pinning him on the ground with a flash of pink light. Krillin let out a yelp, and pressed his hands against the beast's head to keep its glowing jaws away from his face.

Moori charged another blast, this one much larger and more powerful than the last, and fired, blowing a hole in the beast. The other three beasts were already charging him, forcing Moori to jump over them. The beasts replied by firing Ki at him in the air, but by this time, Krillin had recovered, and charged back at them, stopping their bombardment. With a spinning kick, Krillin launched one of the beasts into the hole from the Tri-Beam, leaving him with two beasts.

"Kame! Hame!" Krillin charged an attack. One of the beasts jumped into the air, and was in his face.

"HAH!" Krillin struck it with a point-blank blast, and the beast landed in two pieces at his feet. The beast that had been knocked into the pit leaped out, landing next to its remaining companion. The two beasts barked at them, turned, and ran off.

"We need to leave, now," Moori said.

"Yup!" Krillin agreed, taking the Dragon Ball, "Let's boogie!"

"What about feet?"

XXX

_Dodoria Battle Area, Namek  
December 21, A762_

Vegeta punched the beast that had its jaws clamped down on his arm, but it refused to let go as the Demsu extended its retractable jaws, digging into his flesh and tightening its grip. Vegeta blasted it with some Ki, but while the Demsu yelped, it didn't let go, nor was the blast enough to kill it.

"What did you say these things were?" Tien asked, punching one, and then the other, away from him.

"Demsu! We took a job to wipe them out, but Freeza must have kept a few as War-Beasts!" Vegeta said, "These are some of the big ones!"

Indeed, these creatures were nearly as tall as Vegeta at the shoulder, and were much larger than either him or Tien. The one with Vegeta in its jaws started to shake. At first Vegeta tried to fight it, but decided instead to fly up. While on the way up, Vegeta started to punch the beast in the throat, trying to get it to choke or otherwise let him go. He almost panicked when its mouth started to glow, but instead, Vegeta shoved his other hand into the Demsu's mouth, and shouted,

"GARLICK GUN!"

This time, the beast ate Ki, and in a purple and pink flash, the Demsu exploded. Down below, as it rained chunks of flesh, Tien held one hand out to each beast, ready to strike at whichever came at him. Tien closed all three eyes, and took a breath. Even without his eyes, his Ki sense was now advanced enough he could 'see' not only the creatures, but the terrain around them. He could even 'see' Vegeta above him.

Tien rolled his arms around, his Four Witches arms slowly emerging from his back, and he started to glow yellow. Both Demsu attacked, but were shocked back by the sudden Ki shield Tien had created. Front he shield, a Dodon Ray was formed, fired straight at one of the Demsu, and destroyed it. The other Demsu dodged the attack aimed at it, and ran off between the rocks, letting out howls of pain and panic.

"It's off to get more, I'm sure of it," Vegeta said.

"Yeah, but it's hiding its power level."

"They can _do_ that?" Vegeta hissed, "Damn you, Raditz, you should have wiped them out!"

"There's not much we can do about it now. Let's head back," Tien said, taking off. Vegeta grabbed the Dragon Ball, and followed.

XXX

_Freeza's Ship, Namek  
December 21, A762_

Chief Lemo swallowed a big lump in his throat. He knew that Vegeta was on the planet; were the other Saiyans on their way? Was he about to betray them?

He knew that Freeza would find out about this one way or another. He now had the locations of two parties, and they were beelining straight towards the same location, albeit at different speeds. If he held this information back, he was a dead man.

Was his life worth the chance these people had to finally take out Freeza?

Lemo swallowed again, and sent the message to the Demsu to return to base. The beasts would follow _his_ orders faithfully. He at least had them on his side.

"I've got to trust they'll be able to figure something out," Lemo muttered to himself, "I hope they can forgive me for this, though."

Lemo transferred the data to a pad, and ran to the bridge.

"Halt! Only those authorized may speak with Lord Freeza!" a guard held out his hand.

"Then go and get him!"

"What business do you have with Lord Freeza?" the Guard said.

"I know where the rest of the Dragon Balls are!" Lemo said, holding up the pad.

"What?" the guard gasped, "Come with me!"

The guard chimed the door.

"Come in," Lord Freeza declared.

"Lord Freeza, this crewman claims he's found the last of the Dragon Balls!" the guard announced. Freeza turned in place to regard them.

"Well?" Freeza said.

"My Demsu beasts have been released all over the planet, sweeping for lifesigns. Mostly, they've been killing fleeing Namekians, but two different groups have encountered the Earthlings and Vegeta. May I share to your map, sire?" Lemo explained. Freeza nodded, and Lemo's map appeared on the big screen.

"They found one Earthling and a Namekian at a village we'd already attacked, here. Their collars confirmed they found the Dragon Ball we missed there. At this location, another pack found Vegeta and a second Earthling, and also confirmed the presence of a Dragon Ball. That accounts for two. Assuming they already have one more, that makes all three, which I admit is a big assumption, but given how hard it's been to find all the villages, it's consistent with our operations that perhaps one of the Dragon Balls was hidden someplace special.

"The packs managed to get video of their direction and velocity, as well. Assuming they're flying straight to their destination, I suspect they have a hidden camp where the two lines would meet, at these coordinates," Lemo modified the map to illustrate.

"What is your rank and name?" Freeza asked.

"Erm...Master Chief First Class Lemo, sire."

"You're the first person to actually deliver results since these meddlers have arrived on Namek. Congratulations, I'm putting you in for a promotion, Commander Lemo," Freeza said.

"An officer? Sire, that's too generous. I'm not a warrior, I just handle the Demsu, my lord."

"And yet your beasts have been of more use than any of these worthless minions, and you can do _basic math_, which is more than I suspect Dodoria of. You are now in command of this vessel in my absence," Freeza motioned to the computer, pulling up the file, and instantly upgrading Lemo from NCO to Commanding Officer.

"You are...Too generous, Lord Freeza," Lemo bowed.

""At least until Captain Ginyu arrives. I'm given to understand he'll be here in a few hours, having met up with some fleet trying to put down some rebels, but if your information pans out, his presence will have been redundant anyway. Good work, Commander," Freeza said, "Pick out a bodyguard for yourself."

"Of course, Lord Freeza," Lemo said, trying to avoid the shaking in his voice. Officers hadn't had a long career on this mission so far. He watched Freeza climb into his hoverchair. The viewing window opened, and Freeza flew out of the room at supersonic speeds. Lemo turned to the guard next to him.

"I want Demsu sweeps around a perimeter immediately on a rotation. Everyone must remain at Battle Readiness. If ANYONE gets aboard this ship and steals these Dragon Balls, I am _feeding them to my beasts, do you understand?_"

"What? Yes, Commander Lemo!" the guard stood at attention.

"Computer, activate all security measures! We're at Yellow Alert as of right now, CO Authorization. As far as ANYONE on this ship is concerned, this vessel may as well be Lord Freeza's personal chambers! NOTHING gets on!"


	31. The Elite

_Grand Elder's Hut, Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Elder...Do you sense that?" Nail said.

"I do," Guru said.

"Freeza is headed straight for the Earthlings. If he gets all the Dragon Balls, he could get his wish. Moori has the password." Nail said.

"I know. We cannot let this come to pass. Nail, you must assist them," Guru said.

"And leave you unguarded?"

"If Freeza obtains the Dragon Balls, I will willingly pass on. The balls will be inert. Even if it means the destruction of our people, of our world, I will not allow that tyrant to have his wish. But if you are able to help them, then, maybe, they will find a way to succeed. Either way, I will die soon. Ensure that the Dragon Balls do not fall into the wrong hands, Nail," Guru explained.

"Yes, Grand Elder! I won't fail you!" Nail said, taking off.

"Don't worry, Grand Elder! We'll protect you until Nail returns!" Molsc said. Guru gave them a kindly smile.

"I know I am in good hands."

XXX

_Dragon Warrior Camp, Namek  
December 20, A762_

Vetgeta and Tien arrived first. Vegeta pulled off his glove, which had been soaked with blood, and studied his Demsu injury.

"Vegeta! Are you all right?" Bulma came out of the cave, having taken watch.

"I'm fine," Vegeta insisted.

"Nonsense, you look like you've been mauled by a dog! I've got a first aid kit, come inside. Tien, are you hurt?" Bulma asked.

"No, I'm okay."

"Do you mind taking watch while I take care of Vegeta?"

Tien nodded, and Bulma pulled Vegeta into the cave. Inside, Master Roshi had Cargo and Dende heating a teapot with just their hands and their Ki.

"Oh, Vegeta! You're ba-WOAH, what happened to you?" Roshi shuddered at the sight of Vegeta's arm.

"I'm fine!" Vegeta growled, but Bulma was already running water over the injury. Vegeta threw the Dragon Ball into a corner with the one from Guru's. Bulma cleaned the wound, ignoring Vegeta's squirming, and she wrapped it up in gauze after drying the injury.

"You know Moori's going to be right back, right?" Roshi said.

"You want to risk an infection he can't cure?" Bulma said, "What happened?"

"Freeza has Demsu. They're big, mean beasts that can use energy blasts. Triclops and I fought three of them. One of them grabbed my arm, and another got away," Vegeta explained, "I had figured they were extinct, but Freeza must have kept some. Figures, Doctor Kikono was obsessed with the things. Never fought one until now, though."

"Good job getting the Dragon Ball, though," Bulma said.

"Don't get too excited. They had cameras on them. They know where they were, and they'll be searching for us again," Vegeta said, "This place might not stay safe."

"What?" Bulma yelped.

"He's right," Roshi said, standing, "We're going to have to make our move soon."

"Heya guys! Look at what we've got!" Krillin entered, holding up the Dragon Ball, "Score's three to four, and we're going for the steal next, am I right Master Roshi?"

"Might be sooner than you expect," Roshi said.

"You didn't happen to fight any energy-using beasts in armor, did you?" Vegeta asked.

"Yeah, a whole pack of 'em, how'd you know?" Krillin asked.

"Vegeta, you're hurt again," Moori observed.

"Oh, no. Did you guys kill them all?" Bulma asked. Krillin shook his head.

"Roshi, we need to leave _now_, or they're going to triangulate our position!"

Bulma frantically started to shove things back into their cubbies.

"Maybe, if I take the Dragon Balls into the ship, we can keep them away from Freeza deeper in the solar system, until you can recover the others!" Bulma thought aloud.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Krillin said.

"Coward's way through this," Vegeta grumbled.

"But it's pragmatic," Moori said, taking Vegeta's arm and healing it, "Let's do it."

"Hey, everyone? We have a problem out here!" Tien called into the cave. Everyone rushed out, and Bulma let out a groan.

In the sky was a whole fleet of ships. Most of them were smaller craft, but one of them was a massive behemoth, an ovoid vessel in the same style as the others, but with a long, relatively thin pole sticking out the front. It also had a symbol painted on the side which only Vegeta recognized. It was firing at the other vessels in a massive battle.

"YES! I _knew_ it! I _knew _he'd show up! I _knew _I was right!" Vegeta cheered, "Listen! I had help getting here, a Saiyan named Bardock! I don't know how, but he survived the destruction of his homeworld! He helped me escape, and he left me this note, along with directions to Namek. It also says, 'The Legend is Real.' He wants us to use the Dragon Balls to turn me into a Super Saiyan! Then, I can destroy Freeza, and Namek will be free!"

"Why would he want to turn _you_ into the Super Saiyan?" Tien asked.

"He's psychic? I don't know! But he's been one step ahead of all of us! _This_ is our best plan! It's the _only_ plan we have!" Vegeta insisted.

"Why should we trust some random Saiyan we've never even met?" Moori asked.

"Because of who Bardock _is!_ This was Gine's plan, too! I can't believe I didn't see it before! You see, Bardock is Kakarot and Raditz's father! Gine _knew _about the Super Saiyan, and her mate brought her in on it! Even if you don't trust me, trust _in your friends!_ It's like she's always saying, we're in this _together!_ I _finally_ get it now!" Vegeta said.

"It's a bit of a stretch...But from what Meys said about Gine…" Krillin said.

"It's the only plan we have," Vegeta said, "We use this chance to attack Freeza's ship, and get the Dragon Balls! Make me a Super Saiyan, and we'll be done with this!"

"We need to bring back Piccolo, though, or we don't get our Dragon Balls back! Everything revolves around that!" Tien said. Moori shook his head.

"No, Vegeta is right. Destroying Freeza is the priority. Besides, using one wish will not stop you from bringing your friend back; our Dragon Balls have three wishes, not just one," Moori said, "We have use one wish to bring back your Piccolo, another to make Vegeta a Super Saiyan, and a third wish to do with as we please. I recommend we move all the Namekians to Earth, so Vegeta can battle Freeza without interruption."

"I know Freeza's ship," Vegeta said, "I'll lead the assault. Moori, you'll be with me. Roshi, baldy, Triclops, we may need you to distract Freeza."

"Hmph. I think we're covered on Freeza," Roshi said, "At least for a while. But we have another problem. Those powers I mentioned were approaching...They're here. There's five of them, and they're more powerful than any of the opponents we've faced so far."

"Five? Oh, no...The Ginyu Force...Well, if Freeza is distracted, then all the more reason to move quickly!" Vegeta said.

"We'll handle this Ginyu Force, then," Tien said, "Boys, take Bulma and find a new place to hide."

"Wait, let me grab the house!" Bulma said, rushing into the cave with Dende and Cargo. A moment later, she came out, pocketing a Capsule box, and each of them held a Dragon Ball. Dende floated up, allowing her to wrap her hands around him. Cargo grasped her from behind, and the Namekians took off, wrapped around Bulma like a little green boy jetpack.

Moori took two Dragon Balls, while Vegeta took one, and the pair were ready to take off, when five Attack Balls landed before them.

"No...NO!" Vegeta said, dropping his Dragon Ball, "We are _dead men._"

"Don't be so sure," Roshi said. The pods opened, and five figures popped out of them, energetic and flamboyant. As they jumped out of their pods, they lined up, shouting their names, standing in order of their height.

"Recoome!"

"Burter!"

"Jeice!"

"Shive!"

"And Captain Ginyu! And together we are!"

The five struck a communal pose.

"THE GINYU FORCE!"

"Wait a minute,that's one's a Saiyan!" Krillin said, gesturing to Shive.

"If you could ever call a _traitor_ a Saiyan," Vegeta spat. Shive crossed his arms, but said nothing, instead looking to Captain Ginyu.

"Now, now, Vegeta, I was prepared to offer _you_ Guldo's spot years ago, if you remember. It's not _my_ fault that your comrade had the sense to take me up on the offer _you_ refused," Ginyu said, wagging his finger, "Since then, Shive has been most eager to earn his place on our team. It's just not been the same without good old Guldo, but I think Shive really brings the team together, wouldn't you say, Ginyu Force?"

"YES CAPTAIN GINYU!" they all shouted together.

"Now, Vegeta, let's make this easy on you. If you hand over those Dragon Balls, I'll be sure to make sure you go back in your containment pod, and _stay_ there this time. After all the hard work Shive put in trying to bring you in alive, too! It's just rude," Ginyu said. Vegeta's fists twitched as he tried to hold back his rage.

"Let's take their power levels, Captain!" Jeice said.

"Of course, Jeice, do us the favor," Ginyu said.

"Let's see...Little bald one is at fifteen thousand...Tall bald one is at, oh-ho-ho, twenty five thousand! Let's see, old Vegeta's rocking an impressive thirty five thousand. The Namekian is also at fifteen thousand, leaving the old man at…"

Jiece stopped, clicked at his Scouter again.

"Jiece?"

"Hold on, Captain, something's not right. Berter, can you confirm my numbers for me?" Jiece asked.

"Sure," Berter ran through the numbers again, "Uh...That can't be right...All the others match, but the old man…"

"Oh, come on, don't lollygag," Ginyu rolled his eyes, checking his own scouter, "WHAT? Two hundred thirty thousand? There's no way!"

Roshi chuckled, "Sorry, is my head shining light into your little device there? Don't want to throw off your numbers."

"Y-yes! Of course! That m-must be it! Hah! How silly!" Ginyu said with a quiver of fear in his voice.

"Listen, you boys are impressive and flashy, but we're really in the middle of something, so if you don't mind, we'd like to get back to wishing our dead friends back," Roshi said.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that! Scouters or not, we are the Ginyu Force, and we will see our task through to the end! Ginyu Force! Take those Dragon Balls!" Ginyu ordered.

"YES, SIR!" the Ginyu Force bellowed, and they charged at their opponents. Moori picked up a Dragon Ball and threw it as far and hard as he could, but Berter leaped up and snagged it out of the sky.

Jeice was upon Krillin first, and swung a punch, but Krillin ducked it. Surprised, Jeice went for a series of punches, which Krillin dodged easily, before reaching his hands out and blasting Jeice in the stomach with a Ki blast.

"Oh, that might have worked, if you weren't fighting _me!_ I've got your frequency, that trick won't work!" Jeice said.

"Then I'll just have to settle for this," Krillin said, punching out, but Jeice caught the blow, and kicked Krillin into the cliffside.

"Recoome, I'd like your help with the old man," Ginyu said, "Just in case the Scouters weren't glitching," Ginyu ordered. Recoome stood next to his Captain.

"Wouldn't be the first time we've teamed up against a power level like that. Won't be the last," Recoome chuckled.

"Oh, trust me, you don't want any of this old man," Roshi warned, shrugging off his jacket. Recoome was the first to charge, feinting to the right, while Ginyu feinted left. Roshi took a deep breath, bulked up suddenly, and started blocking the attacks from both warriors on the left and the right.

"It seems Berter and Jeice have your friends in hand. I guess that leaves you to me, Vegeta," Shive shrugged.

"I'm surprised Ginyu didn't kill you with a sneeze, Shive. That was a cheap trick you pulled on Earth, you won't get the chance again. You've always been the most pitiful Saiyan in our group, even Gine surpassed you. You're a coward and a traitor, Shive, and I'm going to wipe you from our history," Vegeta said, charging at him. Shive took a wide stance, and started to power up.

"Hee-YYYYAAAAAAAHHHH!" Shive bellowed, and Vegeta stopped just outside of arm's length from Shive. Vegeta didn't quite have the energy sense converted to power levels, but with that power-up, Shive leaped from his old power and shot straight past Recoome's.

Faster than Vegeta could follow, Shive grabbed the Prince by the throat and charged him straight forward, slamming him into the rock face. The force knocked Krillin out of the same formation, and he landed on his hands and knees, coughing.

"Aww, don't tell me it's over already! I was just getting started!" Jeice said, standing over Krillin. Moori had put up a Ki shield and was keeping Berter's attacks at bay. Despite Tien trying to peel him off, Berter was simply too fast for either of them.

"You know? I was just about to say the same thing," Krillin said. He stood, focused his energy, and Bulked, getting taller, stronger, and larger. Instead of firing Ki from his hands, he fired from his feet, propelling him at Jeice and landing a devastating punch which sent him back. Krillin kept at him, landing a second blow, and then a third, until the pair had disappeared from the immediate battlefield.

"Roshi! We cannot keep them at bay! We need help!" Moori called out. Indeed, while Krillin had punched Jeice over the horizon, Tien and Moori were struggling with Berter.

"You know, you boys are a good workout, but I've got more important things to do right now," Roshi said, and he let out a whistle.

As if on command, a ship flew overhead, dropping three figures from it. One landed an elbow straight on Berter's head, bouncing him off the ground. Another landed a double-kick against Ginyu, forcing him away from Roshi. The last one landed a punch right on Recoome's face, and started swinging kicks and punches.

"Grab the Dragon Balls! Throw them up here!" Gohan called from the ship. Without missing a beat, Moori started throwing the Dragon Balls up to the vessel. Raditz flipped off Berter, landing next to the third stray Dragon Ball, and threw it to his nephew.

"Go!" Tien ordered Moori, "We'll handle this! Get the Wish!"

"Right!" Moori said, jumping up into the ship.

"Whew! Glad you all made it. I was worried I was gonna have to start breaking a sweat," Roshi said to the Saiyans.

"Woah, Master Roshi! Where'd you get all that power from?" Goku asked. Roshi tapped his staff to the armor Goku was wearing. Instead of the Saiyan emblem on it, the Turtle School symbol was drawn on the breast.

"Better question, where'd you get _that_ ridiculous thing?" Roshi asked.

"Hey, is that Shive?" Raditz asked.

"Shive!" Brussa called out. The distraction was enough for Recoome to grab Brussa by the tail and start to slam her on the ground, which only served to infuriate her brothers. Goku and Raditz rushed at Recoome, one grabbing the arm that held Brussa, and the other holding his leg. Once Brussa was released, she jumped up onto Recoome's back and started hopping up and down with all her strength.

"As much as I'd like to stick around and kick you boys about for a while, I've got something more important to deal with," Roshi said to Ginyu, bulking down, "But Goku and his siblings have you all handled for now. I'm gonna go have a word with your boss."

"What? Do you really think I'm going to-" Ginyu started, but Roshi kicked him into Recoome while Brussa was up in the air. She landed on top of Ginyu's head when she came down.

"Master Roshi, I could still use your help over here!" Tien shouted.

"Guru's unlocked all the power you need to defeat him, Tien. You don't need to be faster than him. You just need to predict him, and there's nobody better at that than you," Roshi said, and then he jumped off into the distance.

_I just need to predict him…_ Tien thought, and he closed all three eyes. Sure enough, with his enhanced ability to sense Ki, he was, in fact, able to predict where Berter was going to strike next. Berter wasn't _fast_, he was almost 'drilling' forward through space with his Ki, which allowed his body to move into the vacuum and strike with the power of the implosion. Once he realized he could predict the Ki, Berter's movements quickly became predictable.

"Well, Vegeta," Shive peeled him out of the rock, "It looks like my teammates have bitten off more than they can chew with our old friends. Why don't you and I go somewhere _private_?"

"Shive, get back here!" Ginyu ordered as Shive flew off, carrying Vegeta with him.

"Shive you traitor!" Raditz bellowed, firing Ki blasts at him, but Shive just ducked and weaved. Raditz turned to Ginyu.

"We'll deal with him later," Raditz said, "For now, you're mine."

"Hah, you think you can match _my_ power, Saiyan? You're the weakest of the weak! I am Captain Ginyu, Elite-"

"Hey, Kakarot, Brussa Baseball!" Brussa called out, jumping into the air. Goku held up Recoome by the legs and smacked his sister with him. Brussa kicked off Recoome, and slammed straight into Captain Ginyu.

"HAH! Good one, Brussa!" Raditz laughed.


	32. Porunga

_Freeza's Ship, Namek  
December 21, A762_

The whole vessel shook.

"Damage report!" Lemo ordered.

"There's been a boarding breech on Deck 7! We have intruders! They're too much! They're Sai-AUGH!"

"Commander, we can't hold them! We're gonna get slaughtered! What are your instructions?" a second voice called out. Lemo flipped through the security feeds. Appul was getting his head roasted off by a familiar face. Lemo wasn't sure if he should be thrilled or terrified.

He looked down at the Dragon Balls secured on the bridge with him. If he didn't cooperate, Gine would probably kill him. At worst, she'd take the Dragon Balls and leave him alive, and Freeza would certainly kill him. If he handed them over, Freeza would _also _probably kill him.

Lemo did the math. He brought up the security commands for the Demsu holding pens, and released them, sending the 'General Slaughter' order to the beasts when he did. He set the ship to self-destruct, stuffed the Dragon Balls into a bag he'd prepared for exactly this kind of situation. The four Dragon Balls, together, were almost as big as he was, but he was determined to reach the Demsu pens before Gine and her companions reached him. While Freeza's soldiers were free game, the Demsu would not touch the man who had trained and raised them, shown them kindness where their handlers were only cruel.

"You good for another run, Fleur?" Lemo asked the biggest Demsu on the ship. The yellow and purple-spotted Demsu looked at him with a tired look. She glanced down to the purple egg she was curled up next to.

"Don't worry, we'll take it with us," he said, tossing a saddle over her. She obediently stood, letting Lemo clip it on snugly. Lemo stuffed the egg carefully into a case, and put it into the saddle bags. He just strapped the Dragon Balls to Fleur's tail; he assumed they'd be fine. Lemo climbed up his old friend, held the reins, and mashed a button to open the rear door.

"Commander Lemo! The Demsu have escaped!" a soldier called out after him. A trio of the beasts leaped upon him, tore him to pieces, and followed Fleur and Lemo off the ship. As if sensing the ship's destruction, Lemo watched as dozens of Demsu hopped off the vessel, some still holding hapless soldiers in their mouths. He watched as three figures flew out of the vessel, which exploded immediately after.

Lemo spurred Fleur on faster, and they rode for quite some time. Lemo pulled off his scouter, not wanting to know the actual time. He just enjoyed the cool, moist air of Namek, and the sun warming his skin. He relaxed as Fleur rode on; Namek reminded him of the last strips of land of his homeworld that weren't covered in cities. He'd spent his entire savings to visit one, once. It had been the reason he'd joined the Freeza Force, to find new worlds that were just like that, even if for a while. Nudal now had cities on it, but it was still mostly fresh.

If he survived Namek, he was going to retire there, he decided. He'd start a ranch, and reintroduce the Demsu.

"Let's pull in here," Lemo instructed, and Fleur found a nice thicket of trees to nestle under. While Lemo did pull his legs out of the saddle, he just turned and remained on her back, pulling out a couple ration bars. He unwrapped one, and dropped it straight into Fleur's mouth. He opened and bit into the second, enjoying the sunset of Namek's second sun, and the rise of its third. He glared at the other three Demsu that had followed him.

"No! Go hunt your own food, this is all I have!" Lemo said. Despite his order, he pulled three bits off his ration bar, and threw them at the beasts. Satisfied, the Demsu took off to find their own food and lodgings.

"Lemo?" he heard Gine call out. Lemo stuffed the rest of the ration bar into his mouth, and downed it with his canteen.

"Hey, Gine. Haven't seen you in a long time," Lemo said, "Want some water?"

"No, I'm good," Gine said, "I didn't expect to see you here, Chief."

"Commander, actually, as of this morning. Afternoon? I can't tell," Lemo shook his head, "It's all crap, Gine. I'm sick of it."

"Well, it looks like you've got a friend," Gine chuckled.

"How's the brat?" Lemo asked.

"Brussa is a ball of energy. Fights like a monster. Eats like one, too," Gine said.

"I figured."

"Oh, this is my grandson, Gohan!" Gine beckoned over to the boy. A young Saiyan boy with long, black hair walked around the corner, "Gohan, this is Lemo. He's an old friend of mine. He's the reason Brussa and I survived childbirth!"

"Hello, Mister Lemo," Gohan bowed. Lemo nodded to him.

"It's good to meet you, Gohan. And who's your other friend there?" Lemo gestured to the Namekian.

"My name is Elder Moori, of Namek. And you have our Dragon Balls," Moori gestured.

"So I do, and lucky for you, it's first-come, first-serve, too," Lemo slid down Fleur's back and took another drink of water, "By the way, this is Fleur. She's an old friend from Nudal. We've been together for over twelve years now. Raised her from a pup."

"Hi, Fleur!" Gohan approached. She slow-blinked at Gohan, and he started to pet her belly. Lemo almost reached out to stop him, but saw Fleur's passive reaction, and stopped.

"Well I'll be. Normally she eats anyone that approaches who isn't me. Your grandson's something special, Gine," Lemo said, rolling the Dragon Balls out of their bag.

"I'll say. I reunited with his father, Kakarot, about a month ago. It was...Well, we'll say awkward, at first, but...Lemo, you'd love Earth. It's so beautiful and lucious. I love it there," Gine sighed.

"Yeah? I'll have to visit, then. You don't mind pets, do you?" Lemo chuckled, gesturing to Fleur as he rolled the balls over to Moori.

"Not at all!" Gine laughed. Their ship landed behind Moori, and the ramp lowered. Chi Chi tossed the three Dragon Balls to Moori, who caught each and carefully placed them next to the ones Lemo had given them. Lemo took another drink.

"Do you mind if I stick around and watch? I've been wondering what all this fuss was about," Lemo said. Moori scoffed.

"The destruction of my world is 'fuss' to you?"

Lemo shook his head, "Sorry, I don't mean to be insensitive. I've, uh...Well, let's just say being part of this kind of destruction has...Left a toll on me. I want nothing more than to see Namek restored."

Moori gave a grunt, and raised his hands, and shouted, "_Takkaraput pop Porunga pupiritt paro_!"

The sky turned black, and the Dragon Balls began to glow. With an explosion of light, the giant, snakelike dragon that was Porunga appeared in the sky.

"Oh, wow! I can't believe it! It's so massive!" Gine gasped, "I never...I never thought…"

Moori continued in Namekian, "Porunga! For our first wish! Bring back the Namekian, known to Earthlings as Piccolo!"

"Your wish is simple; I have granted it!" Porunga declared. Thought its spoken words were in Namekian, all who could hear it understood the phrase in their heads in their chosen tongue.

"For our second wish! The Namekian Piccolo wishes to be brought to Namek, so as to fight the tyrant Freeza!"

"This, too, is simple, and has been granted."

Moori hesitated; a lot could change with the third wish. He thought of Vegeta's request, and of all the Saiyans who had arrived. Bringing Piccolo to Namek was foolish, but he could act fast, and recover the Earth's Dragon Balls before anything happened. He glanced to Gine. While he sensed she had a true heart filled with good, he knew there was still darkness within her. There had been darkness within Vegeta, and within two of the Saiyans who had rescued him from the Ginyu Force. And the Ginyu Force had their own Saiyan.

He thought of the story of the Super Saiyan, and how fearful Guru was of an evil being with that kind of power.

Moori decided.

"Porunga! With our third wish, bring all people, either living or slain at the hands of Freeza and his minions, to the planet Earth, except those who worked for Freeza, or wish to remain here and fight!" Moori declared.

"A strange wish. But, for the Namekian people, I will do this."

Lemo heard a voice in his head: _Do you want to remain on Namek, and fight?_

"Hell no! Get me off of this planet!" Lemo said aloud. Suddenly, he was no longer beneath the blue trees by the river on Namek with Gine. Instead, the sky was blue, the grass was green, and he was standing in the middle of a street.

"HEY! Watch it freakshow!" a vehicle beeped at him. Fleur nudged him off the street, and he stepped away from the street with Fleur.

"Wow...Is this Earth? So much green, but it looks like a city!" Lemo looked around.

"Oh wow! We're back on Earth!" a female voice called out, "Dende, Cargo, you're gonna like it! Oh, this is West City, too! Come on, let's find the others!"

"Wait, hold up! I just came from Namek, too!" Lemo called out to the human woman who was standing with a pair of Namekians.

"Moori? Where are we? What is this place?" a Namekian asked.

"Tsuno! You're alive! Vegeta told the truth!" Moori embraced his brother.

"Yes, we are! Where is Vegeta?" Tsuno asked.

"I assume he's back on Namek, still fighting," Moori said. Their conversation was interrupted by a shriek.

"Are-are those _dead bodies?_" Bulma gasped. Sure enough, they were next to a field, with dozens of living Namekians standing next to dozens more corpses.

"That is what I wished for," Moori said, "For all our dead to be brought to Earth. Now, when your Dragon Balls finish their cycle, we can bring them back."

"Wait, what about _your_ Dragon Balls?" Bulma asked. Moori looked across the field to the Grand Elder, who was in the midst of a coughing fit.

"I'm afraid they may no longer be a factor," Moori said, approaching Guru, "Grand Elder, is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, my son. You have done-" Guru started to cough, but caught his breath, "...Done more than your fair share. You have saved us. Thank you."

"Wait, are you Namek's Guardian?" Bulma asked, "You can't die! Our friends still need your Dragon Balls!"

"It is all right. Already, Namek is indebted to the Earth for its valor. When I pass, so will the title of the Grand Elder, along with the power of the Dragon Balls. Fear not, your friends will return," Guru assured her. Bulma relaxed.

"Thank you, Guru. Please, allow me to bring you all to my compound. You'll be a lot more comfortable there, and we can store your dead until they can be restored," Bulma said.

"Bulma, may I borrow your Dragon Ball radar?" Moori asked, "I would like to recover the Earth's Dragon Balls and make another wish."

"Hmm? Yeah, here you go,," Bulma said, handing it over. With the Dragon Ball radar in hand, Moori flew off to track down the now-active Dragon Balls.

"Moori would make an excellent Grand Elder," Tsuno said, "I would not be offended if you were to choose him over me, Guru."

"You're right, he would. But his destiny lays elsewhere, I feel. You have trained for a long time to be my successor, Tsuno, and Moori's journey has only just begun," Guru said.

"Do you think Moori will wish for the Super Saiyan to destroy Freeza?" Tsuno asked. Guru smiled.

"I believe the Super Saiyan is almost ready to appear all on their own."

XXX

_Dragon Warrior Camp, Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Any last words, Ginyu?" Raditz asked, holding his hand up to Ginyu's head.

"Yeah," Ginyu wheezed. He looked up to Raditz and, with a grin, said, "CHANGE NOW!"

With a flash of yellow light, the expressions on Ginyu and Raditz reversed.

"Hah! HAHAHA! You fools! Now I have your power, and you won't dare kill the body of your precious brother!" Ginyu, now in Raditz's body, gave out a laugh.

"What are you talking about, Raditz?" Brussa asked. Ginyu swung a punch at Brussa, catching her off guard. He followed up with a swimming kick, launching her into the cave, which collapsed around her.

"Goku...That isn't Raditz anymore! Ginyu switched bodies!" Tien called out. Goku charged at Ginyu, and started to lay into Ginyu in his brother's body.

"What? You two have the same Power Level! How are you faster than me?" Ginyu demanded.

"Raditz and I have trained together for months! We know each other's abilities as well as our own! You couldn't possibly hope to match me in his body!" Goku said.

"Damn you, Saiyan!" Ginyu growled, charging Ki and going for an attack on Goku.

"Keep him busy, Goku! I think I can fix this!" Tien called out. Brussa exploded out of the cave, and joined her brother in keeping Ginyu busy, and forcing GInyu to drop the Ki blast he'd been charging.

"_Nobody_ takes my brothers from me!" Brussa snarled, slamming her fist into Ginyu's face and again, stunning him.

"Ugh...You Saiyans just don't know when to die!" Ginyu growled, smashing down on Goku with hands full of Ki. The blow caused Brussa to lose focus, concerned about her brother, and Ginyu kicked her into the water. With the two Saiyans punted away, Ginyu turned to Tien, who was meditating in place.

"Now, what was it you said about 'fixing' this?" Ginyu chuckled. Tien did not react.

"_Get away from my children!_" a new voice called out. Ginyu took a defensive stance as a ship flew over and a figure dropped from it. Despite having his arms up, Gine managed to plant her fist firmly on Ginyu's face. Striking the ground did not deter Gine from following through and continuing to pummel Ginyu into the ground.

"Gine! You're going to kill him!" Tien called out; it was enough for Gine to pull herself off Ginyu, not wanting to compromise her son's health.

"Is it ready?" Goku called out.

"Yes! Hold him still!" Tien said. Goku hopped into the crater made by Gine and Ginyu, and dragged Ginyu out. Raditz complied by twitching and groaning in place. The Saiyans watched as a ghostly, glowing apparition of Tien expanded around his body. The ghost-Tien reached out, growing larger as he did, and stuffed his hands into the heads of Raditz and Ginyu. In one hand, a similar apparition of Raditz was pulled out of Ginyu's body, and an alien that didn't look like any creature any of them had seen was pulled out of Raditz's body. Tien stuffed the ghostly Raditz into his original body, and then Ginyu…

Into a nearby frog. With his other hand, Tien peeled out the apparition of the frog from its body, and stuffed it into Ginyu's body.

The giant ghost-Tien disappeared, and the three-eyed warrior fell forward, catching himself from the fall, and panted.

"Ka...Karot?" Raditz wheezed.

"Yeah, Raditz?"

"_Ow._"

"Hah, don't worry, we've still got some Senzu Beans," Goku fed one to Raditz, who chewed and swallowed. Reinvigorated, Raditz stood on his own power, stretching his muscles.

"There we go! Better than ever!"

"I could use one, too, Kakarot," Brussa said, holding out her hand. Goku gave his sister one, then ate one himself, before flicking another to Tien.

"How about you, Mom?" he asked. Gine shook her head.

"No, I'm good, I didn't use up all that energy. If anything, I'm a bit antsy. Tienshinhan, that was some stunt you pulled off," Gine said.

"Yeah, but I think that's about the only time I could do something like that," Tien said, "With all of these goons down, I think all that's left is Shive and Freeza. Krillin's on his way back to us," Tien said.

"I can handle Shive," Gine said, "If we have enough Senzu beans, I'll get Vegeta back up, too, and we can take on Freeza. Together."

Goku handed her three Senzu beans, "Just in case, okay, mom?"

"Yeah, of course. And Goku?" Gine said.

"Yeah?"

"Kick his ass." Gine said with a grin, and took off.

"You got it, mom," Goku said.

"Wait, did mom just call you 'Goku'? Do I have to start calling you 'Goku'? I prefer Kakarot, it's a _way_ better name," Brussa said.


	33. Revelations

_Hills of Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Here we go, Vegeta. Isn't this a nice spot for us to have a conversation?" Shive said, dropping Vegeta on the ground. Down below, they had a view of a Namekian staring down Freeza, having intercepted him on his way to the Earthlings. When Vegeta hit the ground, he tried to push himself back up, but it was of little use; Shive had already thoroughly thrashed him. Shive tsked at Vegeta, and sat him up against a rock.

"No napping. I want you to watch all this, Vegeta. All your failures, coming together," Shive said, gesturing to the battle still raging in the sky above them, "You couldn't stand up against the Ginyu Force, you couldn't stop Freeza. Hell, you couldn't even kill Kakarot and his friends. Gine killed more of them than you did, all _you_ managed to do was kill one of the _last remaining Saiyans in existence._ If it weren't so sad, it'd be hilarious!"

Shive started to laugh. Vegeta looked down, watching the Namekian get thrashed around by Freeza. While it was clear the Namekian didn't stand much of a chance, he was still putting up a valiant fight, and refused to go down despite the power difference between them. His relief came when, just as Freeza had knocked him down again, Roshi appeared before Freeza. A well of hope filled in Vegeta.

"It's not...Done yet," Vegeta said, looking up to Shive, "You haven't won yet."

"You're right. Everything is still in process. But, it's gone pretty well. I'm just waiting for the next step. Not everything's been perfect, but it's been close enough so far," Shive said.

The sky turned dark, and in the distance, a glowing snake-like creature could be seen from their cliffside perch.

"I'm gonna guess that's the Dragon Balls. Consistent with what I've read, anyway," Shive said.

"Bardock...Bardock has a plan. He...Hasn't failed yet," Vegeta said, standing up, "He...Is still loyal...Unlike you."

"Bardock? What does _Bardock_ have to do with anything?" Shive asked. Within a few moments, the sky returned to normal, and, down below, a second Namekian appeared. Vegeta could feel Freeza's power starting to rise rapidly; he was transforming into some new monstrosity.

"See that, Vegeta? The Namekians would rather put their faith in one of their own weak fighters than trust you. You're not even on their _mind._ You've finally become pathetic," Shive taunted.

"No...Bardock has a plan...It's not done yet," Vegeta said, stepping towards Shive.

"Vegeta, Bardock is _dead._ He's not involved at all, when did you become so delusional?" Shive asked.

"Bardock...Infiltrated my prison...Made sure I got released. I...Started a riot. Came to Namek...He gave me the instruction...to use the Dragon Balls to become the Super Saiyan," Vegeta held out the note. Shive took it. Vegeta pointed to the dreadnought above them.

"Bardock brought _that_. He's got plans...within plans. He's got one...for you. He's got one for _me_. And when I am...The Super Saiyan...He will be my Vizier...And you...Will be my _fool_," Vegeta snarled. Shive smiled at him, and crumpled the note, dropping it on the ground.

"Bardock didn't release you from your prison, Vegeta. He didn't leave you this note. _I_ did."

"Wh-what?"

"You were so desperate to cling to your royalty that you put your hopes in a _dead_ man, instead of thinking that _maybe_ one of the people who _needed you the most_ might have an interest in you becoming the Super Saiyan," Shive said.

"But...But you-"

"I arrested you to secure my spot in the Ginyu Force. But the whole plan was to get you to come to Namek, wish to become the Super Saiyan, and _you_ would kill Freeza. We were _supposed_ to kill the Ginyu Force _together_ once you did. Instead, you get your ass kicked, fail to earn _anyone's_ trust, and you prattle on about the accomplishments of some _dead warrior you've never even met!_" Shive snarled. He gestured to the dreadnought, "Now our best hope is for that ship to blow up the planet, with us on it! The Galaxy is lucky I thought ahead to have baited the ship to put down that revolt. _You're_ the fool, Vegeta!"

He pointed to Vegeta.

"If you were _half _the Royal you thought you were, you'd have _ignored_ the note anyway! You'd have stayed, led the rebellion, and _you_ would have taken over that ship. I left enough technical schematics behind in the base's systems that they could have _built_ one themselves!" Shive said, "I arranged for _everything_ to go your way!"

Vegeta fell to his knees again.

"But you were always so obsessed with your own damn greatness, you never bothered to pay attention to what was really going on around you: King Cold's dreadnought. The Dragon Balls on Earth. The Demsu breeding program. I've been gathering intelligence for Nappa and Gine for _years_ but you never even _noticed._ You never _cared._ You didn't even know that there were _other Saiyan survivors_," Shive said.

"No...No, it was just us! Us and Kakarot!" Vegeta insisted.

"Vegeta, they'd been kidnapping and killing Saiyan squads and children too far or too arrogant to listen to the General Recall for _weeks_ before Freeza destroyed our homeworld. They had entire science programs dedicated to trying to discover the secret of the Super Saiyan! But it never occurred to you to even _look_ for other survivors.

"It took over twenty years just for you to agree _we should go and get Kakarot!_ But now they're _dead_, and their only legacy is Kikono's serum, which finally allowed me to surpass you. You never even bothered to look for your _own_ brother, who, believe it or not, _is still alive._ You're no Prince. You're not even worth killing," Shive sneered.

Shive looked down at Vegeta, waiting for a reaction. Vegeta was just staring at the ground.

"Well? Have anything to say? Have I shredded what's left of your pride?" Shive asked. Vegeta looked up, tears streaming down his face.

"You're...You're right...I'm nothing...Not even good enough for the Ginyus to kill…"

Shive groaned, "You're not supposed to be _crying!_"

Shive kicked him, "You're _supposed_ to be the _Super Saiyan!_"

Shive kicked him again. He let out a scream to the sky, and fell back, sitting down next to Vegeta, who was wiping his face.

"Well, dammit. That was my last shot," Shive said. He looked over to Vegeta, "Instead of clearing your mind and bringing out your rage, all I've managed to do is break you."

He laid back onto the blue Namekian grass, "Guess you're not the only failure."

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta asked. Shive shook his head.

"I mean, yeah, everything I said was _true_. There _were_ other Saiyan survivors. We _could_ have rescued them. Funnily enough, one of them, the only survivor, is Bardock's _clone._ _He's_ the one commanding the ship. But everything I said...I hoped it would bring out the Super Saiyan. But it didn't work."

Shive sighed, "All we've got left are Gine's family, the Earthlings, and that planet-buster."

Vegeta looked up at it, "So if they can't kill Freeza...The ship will destroy Namek, and everything on it?"

"Yup. Last ditch effort. Hopefully, Turles doesn't get trigger-happy. Or he does. I just want the Galaxy to be rid of Freeza. That's all this was about, Vegeta. Capturing you. Tormenting you. The Ginyu Force. All of it."

"You really thought I had what it took to be the Super Saiyan?" Vegeta asked. Shive shrugged.

"Sure. Why not? You were the most powerful of us. Believe it or not, Vegeta, I really did believe in you. Just wish you'd have decided to be a better person when Freeza's men were kicking my ass, instead of letting Gine save my stupid face," Shive said.

"I...Should have trusted in my people. In my team," Vegeta said, "Maybe we could have done this together. We _should_ have done this together."

"That's what I've been saying," Gine called out, floating down. Shive waved to her.

"Hi, Gine. Sorry, I kicked Vegeta's ass. Made him cry. I'm an asshole. Sorry…" Shive said.

"Why did you help Brussa and Meys? Why did you betray us to the Ginyu Force?" she asked. Shive shrugged.

"I guess I was trying to be smarter than I actually was. All I did was get everyone killed, though. Freeza's down there transforming from one freakish monster to another. The Dragon Balls are used. The Dreadnought will destroy Namek, along with everyone still on it," Shive said, "Just goes to show what I know."

Gine looked down at the battle below. Freeza had transformed into a third form, and now a third Namekian was fighting him. She could sense her children flying towards the battle, as well. Despite their advances, the real fight for Namek had just begun.

"We're not dead yet, Shive. We can still pull this off," Gine said. She knelt to Vegeta.

"Gine...I'm so sorry for not listening to you all these years," Vegeta said.

"We're here now. Please, eat this. Can't say it's anything like _my_ cooking, but it'll help get you back on your feet," Gine fed him the Senzu Bean. Vegeta chewed on it, and felt his bruises and cuts heal over, and his energy was restored. He and Shive stood.

"What are you thinking, Gine?" Shive asked.

"That ship is commanded by a Saiyan named Turles. He says he's giving us a chance to kill Freeza before he destroys Namek. If we can pull it off, we'll save the planet. Make sure he doesn't fire that thing until it's _absolutely_ the _last moment _and you're _certain_ we've failed. Vegeta? I want you to defend the Dreadnought from the attacking fleet. Make sure they get the breathing room, and nothing interferes with the battle with Freeza," Gine instructed.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta asked.

"Win or lose, my family and I are going to fight Freeza," Gine saluted them, and flew off. Vegeta and Shive exchanged glances.

"What do you say, Vegeta? Think you can forgive me long enough to kick a little ass?" Shive asked.

"Theirs first. Then yours," Vegeta said. They smiled to each other, and flew up into the sky.


	34. Freeza

_Hills of Namek  
December 21, A762_

"Now that you have me all loosened up, I'm going to have to insist that you move on, Namekian. Move on TO THE NEXT DIMENSION!" Freeza held up his hand to destroy Nail.

Suddenly, a pink-yellow alien with what seemed to be a black scouter that covered both eyes landed from above between Freeza and the Namekian.

"I think the boy's had enough," the alien said.

"Oh, wonderful. What are you supposed to be?" Freeza said.

"I am known as Roshi, the Turtle Hermit, and you, sir, have caused enough trouble," Roshi said. He pointed his staff to Freeza, "You won't hurt this world any longer."

"One dead alien is just as good as the next to me," Freeza said, "So why don't you show me what you think you're capable of, and then I'll kill _both_ of you?"

Roshi took a deep breath, and Bulked. Freeza rolled his eyes, not impressed with the display, until Roshi landed a punch on the tyrant.

Freeza let out a cough as the blow actually sent him back a couple of inches. He seethed at Roshi, and clenched his fists.

"And for _that_ your death will be _slow,_" Freeza hissed. The two warriors clashed, exchanging blows. While Roshi had the experience and foresight to block Freeza, the alien's power was such that even blocking Freeza's attacks placed a toll on Roshi. Fortunately, the reverse was equally true.

Freeza pushed himself off Roshi, and aimed a finger to strike him with a Death Beam, but Roshi knew that trick well enough, and rushed forward, smacking Freeza's hand with his fist and forcing the attack to fire off to the side, destroying a nearby island.

Freeza followed up by punching Roshi in the face, breaking his glasses. Roshi clutched at his face, grunting at the pain and frustration.

"Aww, did I break your favorite scouter? Poor thing," Freeza taunted.

"Those were brand new," Roshi said, grabbing a rock and smashing it on Freeza's head. The blow caused Freeza to bounce off the ground, and Roshi kicked Freeza away. Freeza reached out and used his hands to slow and stop his momentum, and he let out a frustrated hiss and glare at Roshi.

"Where did you _get_ this power? Nothing in this universe can hope to match me! I am Lord Freeza, ruler of the Galaxy!" Freeza declared.

"You're just another punk who needs to be put into his place," Roshi pointed at him, "Fortunately for you, that's just my speciality."

"Oh, the alien thinks he's going to knock me down a peg? I am _Lord Freeza_ and-"

"Yeah, yeah, trust me, I've heard it, boy," Roshi jumped at Freeza, forcing him to put up his arms and block the double-kick. Freeza grabbed Roshi by the leg and tried to slam him down, but Roshi's other leg kicked out, striking Freeza on the chest. Freeza's tail whipped out, however, wrapping around Roshi and slamming him around, until Roshi's punches from his free arm became too painful for Freeza to hold onto him, and he released Roshi.

"Hey, Freeza? See the sky?" Roshi called out. Freeza looked around.

"What? What's going on? Is it finally night?"

"Nope. _That_ means someone has summoned the Dragon. They're stealing _your_ wish. You've failed. And if Namek's Dragon Balls are anything like Earth's, it won't be a _year_ until they can be used again. If you destroy either Earth or Namek, you'll lose your wish. Even if you beat me here, you've _lost_, Freeza," Roshi said.

"No! I won't _have_ this! That wish is MINE! This PLANET is mine! THIS UNIVERSE IS MINE!" Freeza started to summon a massive death ball of Ki, which got bigger and bigger.

"Hoo boy, this is gonna be a doozy," Roshi muttered to himself, and he got into position, "Kame! Hame! HAH!"

Freeza threw the death ball at Roshi, which collided with the Kamehameha. The sheer power of the ball was massive, but Roshi concentrated his power and his energy, and his form actually bulked _down_ to a more standard muscular form. Without the extra energy used to sustain the extra muscle mass, Roshi was able to concentrate his power on his attack, and was able to force Freeza's ball of energy up and out of Namek's atmosphere.

Roshi stood there, panting, "Whew. Wasn't sure if I could pull that off."

"You! Insolent! Worm!" Freeza growled. His form was starting to get bigger; his armor started to crack and flake. Roshi could sense Freeza's power getting higher and higher.

XXX

Piccolo had arrived, just in time to watch Roshi's struggle with Freeza's death ball. He'd sensed and seen Roshi's new power since Guru had unlocked his potential, and was in awe; Piccolo wondered if he really had what it took to fight Freeza. Had he come to Namek for nothing?

"I can sense your fear," a voice wheezed. Piccolo turned, and saw the Namekian who had been fighting Freeza.

"I was watching your battle from the Other World. You were very brave, Nail," Piccolo said.

"Were you? I'm glad one of our people was able to see my sacrifice," Nail said.

"I fear I may have come here for nothing. I wanted to avenge our people, but seeing Roshi, with all his new power, struggling to fight this monster, I may have been too rash and proud in asking Moori to bring me here," Piccolo admitted.

"Maybe...If you were whole, you'd be more than enough for Freeza," Nail said.

"What? With Kami? There's no way! I've lived my whole life without him, I don't need him now!" Piccolo snarled.

"You're right, you are proud...But there may be another way for you to surpass Freeza. Rejoining with your other half might not be possible right now, but there is something you and I can do, before I die: You can join with me, instead," Nail said.

"Sorry, but I'll take my chances on my own," Piccolo turned away, "I like staying myself."

"Well, that's just it: You'll remain yourself. Parts of me will be woven into you, but you'll still be Piccolo, the warrior. You'll have my knowledge and my experience, but almost entirely, you won't change, except for my power. I'm going to die. But if you do this with me, we'll both stand a chance of destroying Freeza once and for all," Nail said. Piccolo hesitated, and turned to him.

"All right, how do we do this? If I don't like it, I'm shoving you out," Piccolo said.

"Just lay your hand upon my chest, and I'll do the rest," Nail said. Piccolo obeyed, and there was a flash of shimmering blue and white light. When it passed, Piccolo stood, alone.

"This...This strength! This UNIMAGINABLE strength! If i had known fusing with another being brought about this kind of power, I'd have sought it out YEARS ago! I AM INVINCIBLE! And I'll show Freeza what it means to face the ultimate Namekian warrior!" Piccolo declared, and he flew into the fight, where Roshi was now fighting Freeza, who now stood at well over ten feet tall and was six feet wide.

Not only did Freeza now have size and strength on Roshi, it was clear that Freeza had power over Roshi. The old Turtle Hermit kept finding new reserves of power, but he knew he was starting to tap into the last of them.

Roshi cursed himself and Freeza pressed down on him; the two were trying to push the other back. Roshi had overlooked his own lesson: There was _always_ someone stronger. He thought he'd be teaching Freeza, only for it to be turned on him.

"What the matter? No more defiance in you, old man? Have you reached the end of your limits? Well, MY power has only BEGUN!" Freeza declared, and he swatted Roshi with his tail. When Roshi was in the air, Freeza punched down, only to strike ground.

"Piccolo?" Roshi gasped; the Namekian was holding the old master by the collar.

"Yes and no. Are you all right?" Piccolo asked.

"Yeah. Grateful to see you, that's for sure. I didn't realize Freeza had _this_ in him," Roshi admitted, "I thought I was going to be able to stop him, but...I got arrogant and sure of myself, like a rookie…"

"It's okay, Roshi. I've got this now," Piccolo said, turning to Freeza.

"Are you sure? I don't think Freeza was bluffing when he said he was only beginning to show off his power. I know you've got a huge boost, but...It may not be enough," Roshi said.

"It'll have to be," Piccolo said.

"Another Namekian, come to save your Earthling friend? Well, when I'm done with you, I'll be rid of your last bastions of hope, and the Universe will be _mine!_" Freeza declared, swinging a slap at Piccolo, who caught the swipe.

"Try me," Piccolo chuckled, and he punched Freeza in the chest, still holding onto the arm, and kept striking, again and again, until Freeza started to wave his arm about in an attempt to shake Piccolo off. Piccolo let go, only to start laying into Freeza with both fists.

"How? NOTHING on this world, or any OTHER world, could HOPE to match my power, especially in my second form! No Namekian has stood against my power, not even that fool who-" Freeza looked around, "Where _is_ the fool?"

"Right here," Piccolo said, kicking Freeza across the face.

XXX

_Guru's hutt_

"Do you feel that?" Molsc asked.

"I do," Kotai said, "Nail and the Namekian from Earth are so far ahead of Freeza together!"

Whist shook his head, "No. Can't you sense it? There's...So much more within Freeza, hidden, and waiting. Freeza may be losing right now, but when he chooses to change again...Nail and his partner don't stand a chance!"

"Then...What chance do we have?" Kotai said, "We all chose to stay when the Dragon gave us the chance. If Nail fused with the stranger can't defeat Freeza, we don't stand a chance!"

"Maybe we do," Molsc said.

"What do you mean?" Whist asked.

"If the stranger and Piccolo got that strong together, imagine how much power they would get with _more_ Namekians! We're the only ones left on this world!" Molsc said.

"Are you suggesting we fuse with Nail?" Kotai said.

"If we have to. But even just the three of us, maybe it would be enough! Otherwise, we're just standing in an empty home, waiting for either this monster to kill us all, or for someone else to save us!"

"Then who gets to be the dominant personality?" Whist asked. Molsc held out his hand.

"We'll find out. I won't ask either of you to make that choice. We all choose to fuse, and whatever happens, happens. But we defend Namek, together," Molsc said. Whist hesitated, and put his hand on Molsc's.

"For Namek," Kotai said, placing his hand on their.

"FOR NAMEK!" they said together, blue and white light overtaking the hut.

XXX

"Piccolo! He's transforming again! You have to stop him before he finishes!" Roshi shouted. Freeza was starting to glow blue in parts, and his overall mass was shrinking. Despite the smaller size, Piccolo could sense that Freeza's power, and his speed, was starting to increase. Piccolo pushed himself to fight faster and harder. He started to pelt Freeza with Ki blasts, which seemed to put Freeza in a great deal of pain with each strike.

Piccolo rushed forward and elbowed Freeza in the face, whose head seemed to be elongating. He came up, trying to strike Freeza in the ribs, but Freeza rolled around Piccolo and struck him in the back. Piccolo flipped about and continued peppering Freeza with Ki, but each strike seemed to do less damage than the last.

"You fools may have forced me into my third form, but this is the end of the line! You don't stand a chance against me, Namekian!" Freeza said. As his form finished changing, Freeza gathered energy from the changing process, and fired it at Piccolo as an attack. Piccolo caught it with Ki gathered in his hands, and fired it back as a Masenko, but Freeza simply split the attack down the middle, and struck Piccolo. He began to pelt Piccolo with Ki blasts too fast for him or Roshi to follow.

Freeza stopped his barrage, and allowed Piccolo to fall to the ground. Roshi ran to him, and inspected his injuries.

"Piccolo, will you survive?" Roshi asked.

"Not if...I deal with that again," Piccolo said. He looked up, past Freeza, who was approaching and cackling.

"Someone else is coming...It's another Namekian," Piccolo said.

"Yes, I sense it, too. Who else is left on this world but Goku and his family?" Roshi wondered.

A giant Namekian with a well-defined square jaw, wearing a yellow shirt, purple pants, and an orange Namekian-style scarf ran to the battlefield, leaving holes in the ground with each step. He stopped just behind Freeza.

"Oh, _what _is it _this _time?" Freeza snarled, "Another Namekian?"

"Pff. No. We are _beyond_ a normal Namekian!" the Namekian declared.

"Wait, I know you! You're the three Namekians who were at Guru's!" Roshi said.

"Yes, we were. We weren't sure who was going to be the dominant personality, but it seems we're a mix of all three of us. We guess we'll need a name for ourselves," the Namekian said.

"I wouldn't get too attached, because _you're dead!_" Freeza declared, firing at the new Namekian, who dodged each and every one. The blasts grew more frequent and more intense as Freeza got frustrated.

"WHY? WHERE? THIS! IS! IMPOSSIBLE! AAAAAAAHHHH!" Freeza kept firing more and more, with the Namekian dodging.

"My! Name! IS! SLUG!" the Namekian roared as he charged and fired a Ki blast back at Freeza, which engulfed the tyrant in light. As Freeza was launched into the air, Freeza kept firing back at Slug, but Slug kept throwing the Ki back at his enemy, forcing Freeza to dodge his own attacks. Their battle continued like this, as Slug kept chasing Freeza around the battlefield, trying to strike Freeza, who kept his focus on not being struck by the massive Namekian.

"Roshi! Piccolo!" Goku called out to them. Roshi looked up, and saw Goku and his family flying towards them with Tien. Their ship landed in a field off in the distance, and Chi Chi flew to them as soon as it was finished.

"Goku! You're here! I'm sorry, boy, I thought I could defeat Freeza. Piccolo gave it his all, too, but he was just too much," Roshi said.

"It's okay, Master Roshi. I brought Senzu Beans. Take one, and we'll take out Freeza together. As a family, as it should be," Goku said. He handed them to Roshi and Piccolo, who munched down. Gine flew overhead, and joined them.

"I've got Shive and Vegeta handled. We've got about ten minutes before Turles decides to blow up the planet with us on it.

"Think you could manage the Kamehameha?" Goku asked. Chi Chi, Tien, and Raditz all nodded.

"I've got my own techniques," Piccolo snorted.

"Roshi taught it to me. I've been holding out on you, Kakarot!" Brussa said. While Piccolo charged the Special Beam Cannon, the Saiyans and Master Roshi went into position.

"You're going to run out of energy before I do, Freeza! It's only a matter of time!" Slug declared.

"IS IT? BECAUSE I AM _NOT_ DONE!" Freeza declared, and he started to glow again. Slug slammed his fist onto Freeza's chest, which Freeza, now starting to change form again, grabbed, and started to bring his elbow down upon. While the first strike did little, as Freeza's form continued to shift, each blow became harder and more intense. With his other arm, Slug continued to punch at Freeza, but each blow did less than the last, until the strikes themselves started to leave burn marks on Slug's skin.

Then, Freeza and Slug exploded in a flash of white light. A moment later, Slug landed on the ground, groaning.

"Now that I've dealt with the Namekians, it's time to finish off the Saiyan Race," Freeza, now in his fourth and final form, stepped out of the crater. He aimed his hand at the Saiyans, and began to charge Ki.

"KA!" Goku began.

"ME!" they all chanted, "HA! ME! HAH!"

The Kamehamehas joined together, and clashed with Freeza's beam. Slug, from the sides, watched the beam struggle and laughed at the sheer amount of power being pushed around. It was beyond anything the Namekian could have imagined. Despite seven people contributing to the Kamehameha, it was everything they could do to match Freeza's power.

"Kai!" Goku shouted.

"Oh!" Raditz added.

"Ken!"

"TIMES TEN!"

"Makankosappo!" Piccolo shouted.

With the surge of power, Freeza was enveloped by the blue light, and the Special Beam Cannon struck him at the same time. When the light was gone, all that was left was a streak of destroyed landscape well over the horizon.

"You...You did it! Hah! You destroyed Freeza! We've won!" Slug cheered, standing, "I almost can't believe it!"

"I think so," Raditz said, "I can't sense him anymore."

"I won't be convinced until I see a body," Gine said.

"Even if he did survive, he's probably not in fighting shape after an attack like that," Brussa said, "I say we look until we find bits and pieces."

"That's smart," Roshi nodded.

"Do you really think he could have survived that?" Gohan asked, following his family in a flight pattern. They were joined by Roshi, Slug, and Piccolo as they followed the streak of devastation. They stopped along the way, suddenly feeling yet another spike of power.

"Don't tell me he has _another_ form?" Slug groaned.

"Gine! It didn't work! Freeza is still alive, and his power level is still increasing!" those with communicators, which was everyone but Roshi and the Namekians, heard.

"We're still alive, we can still beat him!" Gine insisted.

"I am not taking that chance!" Turles interrupted, "Charge and target the cannon!"

"Chi Chi, take the ship and leave with Gohan and Brussa!" Gine ordered.

"No, I'm staying!" Brussa insisted.

"Brussa, I need you to protect the Earth with the others. If we don't make it, _you_ are going to be one of its _only_ means of defense. You need to protect Gohan and Chi Chi. I'm _relying_ on you," Gine cupped her daughter's face in her hands.

"But...I want to be here with you! And my brothers! We need to do this _together!_" Brussa said.

"There are some things more important than pride, Brussa. And I'm protecting _my_ pride. Go, protect our new home. We'll be with you as soon as we can," Gine said. Brussa looked to Gohan, and nodded.

"Go with them, Piccolo. I know you did your best," Goku said, "But the Earth needs you, in case we can't do this."

Slug flew to them, "Wait! Piccolo! Fuse with me! Together, we'll far surpass Freeza! We can destroy him with a fraction of our combined power! We'll be unstoppable!"

"No. Your personality would overshadow mine," Piccolo said, "I'm going to remain myself."

"The Saiyans can't do this without our combined power, Piccolo, don't be a fool!" Slug insisted.

"No! I will not allow fusion to become a cheap tactic to make weak Namekians stronger! I'll surpass Freeza on my own!" Piccolo said. Slug grabbed him by the collar.

"Don't be a fool, Piccolo!"

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Raditz grabbed Slug's arm, "Piccolo needs to go to Earth, or they don't have Dragon Balls! You can stay with us and fight Freeza, but we need Piccolo intact!"

Slug grinded his teeth, but let Piccolo go, "Fine. Protect Earth, and our people. But we'll see who surpasses who soon, _Piccolo_."

Piccolo let out an affirmative grunt, and led those leaving back to the ship.

"Wait! Krillin!" Tien said, "He's still out there somewhere!"

"Go find him, and get onto the Dreadnought! We only have seven minutes before the ship fires!" Gine ordered.

"Enough chatter! We've got to destroy Freeza now!" Roshi called out.

A pink disk flew past him, leaving those still around the battlefield stunned. Roshi looked to Goku.

"I'm proud of you, Boy. Always have been."

Then Roshi fell to the ground in two pieces.


	35. The Legend Appears

Gine, Raditz, Slug, and Tien stared at Roshi's corpse as it hit the ground. Goku gazed off into the distance, facing towards Freeza. The alien tyrant chuckled.

"Looks like he didn't make the cut," Freeza said, laughing at his own joke. His muscles were now bulked out, and he was giving off more energy than ever, despite the marks left on his arms and ribs from the communal Kamehameha.

"No! Master Roshi!" Tien called out.

"We have to focus!" Raditz said, turning to Freeza. He charged, but was forced to dodge the same disk of energy that had sliced Roshi in two.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Goku grunted. Wind started to pick up.

"Raditz, watch out! Stay away from the disk!" Gine called.

"I'll cover you!" Slug said, firing Ki at the disk, but it had no effect.

Lightning started to strike around them.

"If you think I'm going to let you monkeys just stand around and hit me, you're mistaken! I'm at my maximum power! You'll never defeat me!" Freeza taunted, firing Death Beams at Raditz. Gine put up a Ki shield in front of Raditz to stop them. The Ki disk was hurled at Raditz, who held up his own Ki to 'catch' the disk.

The sky grew dark.

"I! Can't! Hold it!" Raditz groaned, and the disk sliced through his hand, leaving a bloody stump.

Goku was starting to shine and sparkle.

"Hold on, Saiyans! I've got him!" Slug declared, trying to land a punch on Freeza, who stopped the barrage of Death Beams and caught Slug's hand. Freeza squeezed, breaking the bones in Slug's hand.

Rocks started to float and fly around Goku, and the waves of the water began to peak at twenty feet.

Goku's hair flashed golden, and everyone around him stared in awe of the display and power. Even Freeza released Slug's broken hand.

"I won't let you hurt ANYONE ELSE!" Goku declared. His eyes turned white, and he was surrounded by a golden aura. His hair lifted up and changed to gold. His pupils reappeared, blue as the Earth's sky. The power and aura was such that the pulsing could be heard.

"What-What is this?" Freeza demanded.

XXX

_Aboard the Dreadnought_

"Five minutes to firing!" Turles declared, "Divert all power! I don't care if we start choking on our own farts, _I want Freeza dead!_"

"Countdown reduced to four minutes, sir!" a crewman reported.

"Damn you, Gine, finish off Freeza!" Shive hissed.

"Sirs! We're getting interference from below! Our targeting system's all over the place, we can't get a lock on Freeza! One of the Saiyans, the power they're putting out...It's incredible!" another crewman reported. Shive's eyes went wide.

"Of course! That's what was missing! He's doing it!" Shive gasped.

"What is?" Turles asked. Shive grinned at him.

"Your sire's son! The youngest son of Bardock, Kakarot! He's becoming the Super Saiyan!"

XXX

_The Battle over Namek_

Vegeta couldn't help but stare at the golden light below. He could see, even from here, that it was Kakarot. The Freeza Force ships whizzed around him, trying to get a solid hit, but the interference from the Super Saiyan was preventing them from striking Vegeta.

"He's...He's done it! I never thought...Kakarot, of all people! Raditz's puny brother! What did he do to get this power? What is it that I'm missing?" Vegeta wondered, "This! This is what I must be worthy of! I will not stop, I'll go through any trial, any tribulation, to earn this! I will match you, Kakarot! But before I do, destroy him, Kakarot! Destroy Freeza, for our family! For us all! FOR THE SAIYAN RACE!"

XXX

_Son Family Ship_

"Is that...My dad?" Gohan gawked out the window.

"Goku...What happened?" Chi Chi muttered, feeling her husband's rage and sorrow.

"Roshi! I don't sense Master Roshi!" Brussa said.

"Neither do I," Piccolo admitted, "But we need to get out of here, before this planet is destroyed, or Freeza decides to make target practice out of us."

"What is that?" Gohan wondered, staring at his father.

"It's the Super Saiyan! The legend is true, and it's Kakarot! Freeza killed Roshi, and your father...My brother…" Brussa said, "Is that what it takes for the legend to become true? It's not worth it...Not Roshi…"

Piccolo laid his hand on Brussa's shoulder, "We'll find a way kid. Without losing anyone. But we need to leave. Right now."

"Right," Chi Chi said, changing course of their ship. Gohan ran from window to window, trying to keep eyes on his father.

"Go get him, dad!"

XXX

_Capsule Corp Compound, Earth_

"So. It has happened," Guru declared, sitting in the arboretum of Capsule Corp. He found that the indoor park agreed with him.

"What is it?" Tsuno asked, "Has Namek been destroyed?"

"Your world...And the Saiyans...And all those Demsu who escaped!" Lemo said.

"No. There is no need to despair. Our world may yet be saved. The Saiyan known as Kakarot and as Goku has achieved the legend of his ancestors," Guru declared, "I never thought I would ever observe it again in my life. The Super Saiyan lives in Goku's pure heart. Now, Freeza stands no chance of winning. He is surpassed."

"YES! Kick his butt, Goku!" Bulma cheered, "I knew you could do it, kid!"

"So far," Guru said, "But fate may have more in store for us."

XXX

_King Kai's World_

"So that...Is the Super Saiyan," Meys said, "It's incredible! I never thought I'd live to see it!"

The two other students of King Kai glared at him. Meys bit his lip.

"Uh, so to speak."

XXX

_Hills of Namek_

Goku floated above Freeza, glaring down at him. Freeza recalled his energy disk, a snarl on his face.

"If you think a light show is going to impress me, monkey, you're mistaken! I am your lord Freeza, and you will bow before me!"

Freeza threw the energy disk at Goku, but with a simple Ki blast, Goku destroyed it, and started to punch at Freeza, who could barely keep up with the strength and speed of the Super Saiyan.

XXX

Raditz wrapped a cloth around the stump that was his hand, while his mother pressed down on it, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Kakarot...He's become the Super Saiyan!" Raditz shook his head. Gine bit her lip, feeling both pride in her son, and shame she couldn't have raised him to this point herself.

"Goku has this in hand, Raditz. We'd only get in his way," she said to Raditz. Raditz nodded.

"Let's help Tien find Krillin, then. I only wish I had reached this point to help him. But what it cost…" Raditz looked down to Roshi's body. Quickly making a decision, Raditz flew down, and scooped up Roshi's top half, while Gine grabbed his bottom. Raditz turned to the Namekian who remained in place, watching Goku thrash Freeza about.

"Slug! We're leaving!" Raditz shouted to him.

"This power! It's incredible!" Slug threw his arms up into the air, "I can't believe such power exists in the universe!"

"Slug! We have to go!"

"It will be mine! I know I can reach this level of power! DO YOU HEAR ME? I WILL SURPASS YOU!" Slug screamed to the battle above him.

"He's chosen to stay," Gine said, "We can't help him."

Raditz nodded, and flew off into the distance with his mother.

XXX

Freeza managed to land a punch on Goku, but it was like punching a wall for him. Goku slammed his fist into Freeza's face, causing him to reel.

"You! Damn monkey! I should have destroyed ALL of you when I had the chance!" Freeza said, firing Ki at Goku, but the Super Saiyan dodged, and punched him in the face again.

"GAH! STOP IT!" Freeza punched at Goku, but the Super Saiyan grabbed both of Freeza's arms, spun him around in midair, and threw him into the ground. Before Freeza could get up, Goku slammed into him from above. Goku started to kick his legs onto Freeza, pounding him further and further into the ground, before firing a Ki blast into Freeza. Goku flew up and out of the pit he'd made, which exploded into a geyser of lava. It exploded a second time, with Freeza emerging, covered in lava and seething at Goku.

"This is impossible! I am LORD FREEZA!"

Goku punched him in the face again.

"You're nothing more than a petty tyrant," Goku said. Freeza fired a Ki blast, but it dissipated when it struck Goku.

"But me? I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am the protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth. ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU!" Goku powered up, and began to charge an attack.

"No! This can't be!"

"Ka! Me!"

"Not again! I will not be defeated!" Freeza began to charge a Planet-Killer.

"Ha! Me!"

"I AM YOUR MASTER, AND YOU ARE EXTINCT!" Freeza threw the Planet-Killer at Goku.

"HAH!"

Goku's Kamehameha engulfed the attack, causing a shockwave of energy that rolled across the planet, even up into orbit, where the battle was taking place. Most of the ships lost power, and started to fall from the sky.

"YES! YES, GOKU, OBLITERATE HIM!" Slug cheered.

Freeza charged a second attack, and fired again, trying to stop the assault with a Beam Struggle. Pink energy struck blue, but only distance spared Freeza the few moments he had.

Above them, the Dreadnought was also struck with the shockwave. The main coils of the cannon exploded, and the engines began to falter. Shuttles and Attack Pods began to evacuate, fleeing Namek before their ship crashed.

The Kamehameha struck Freeza, who pushed every bit of energy he had left into the attack, but it wasn't enough. His defense faltered, and the wave consumed him, blasting him into the sky.

XXX

_Elsewhere on Namek_

"I can't believe it! He's done it!" Killin watched the streak of blue in the Namekian sky. He'd used up most of his energy in his fight with Jeice, forcing Tien to carry him.

"Yeah, but we've got another problem," Tien motioned to the Dreadnought that was falling out of the sky, "That's going to cause some serious damage to the planet, and we don't have a ship!"

"We'll just have to improvise!" Raditz shouted over the increasing noise of the massive vessel crashing into the surface of Namek.

"The Ginyu's pods!" Gine shouted, "We'll have to leave Roshi behind!"

"He'd understand!" Krillin assured her. Raditz fired a hole into the ground with his Ki, and laid Roshi's body into it. The sky turned dark from the dust, and it was beginning to storm lightning all around them. They didn't even have time to push dirt over the body.

"I can't see anything!" Gine said, blocking the wind from her eyes with her arms.

"This way! I can sense a ship!" Tien called out, "Follow my energy!"

Tien charged up, making it easier for Raditz and Gine to follow him. They flew higher and higher, until they could see the curvature of the surface of Namek, and it became hard to breathe.

"Hey! It's a Capsule Corp ship!" Krillin said, taking deep breaths.

"Nappa?" Gine gasped. Sure enough, the vessel opened, and the huge Saiyan stood in the entryway of the vessel, and gestured for them to come over to him. They flew to the ship, and laid down Krillin.

"Let's get out of here," Raditz said.

"We are here for the Saiyan Shive, and I will not leave without my quarry!" Mercenary Tao said.

"You'll get paid double just for bringing _us_ back to Earth alive," Gine said, "I know what Shive was doing, I'll tell your employer everything. But _first_ you have to get us back to Earth! Now, before I turn you into an oven!"

"You might want to listen to her, Tao," Nappa recommended. Tao grumbled, but changed direction, and charged the FTL, their destination being Earth. Gine looked down at the surface of Namek, and cried as the Dreadnought struck the ground, and exploded in a flash of light that could be seen from orbit.

She could not sense her son.


	36. Good Business

_Dreadnought Crash Site  
December 24, A762_

"I didn't think you were dead," Slug chuckled, pulling wreckage away. He reached in, and pulled out the unconscious Goku. He dug into Goku's pants, and found the bag of beans he'd fed to Roshi and Piccolo. There were still two left. Slug fed one to Goku, and pocketed the other. Once Goku had swallowed it, the Saiyan awoke.

"What...What happened?"

"Congratulations, Goku. Not only are you the Super Saiyan, you've killed Freeza. I found the body myself. He's dead," Slug told him. Goku rubbed at his head, and stood.

"Where are we?"

"You and I are the only beings left on Namek. Well, there's a few Freeza soldiers who survived their crashes, but I've been hunting them down and feeding them to their own beasts. So they don't really count anyway," Slug said.

"So we won?"

"We won!" Slug laughed, "I've been searching for you all day. I could sense your energy, but it took me a while to find you. Goku, that was INCREDIBLE what you did! I only wish I'd been able to help you!"

"You did your part," Goku said, patting him on the shoulder, "If I hadn't become a Super Saiyan, you'd have been the only one capable of standing up to him."

"Barely. Freeza broke my hand without much thought," Slug said, holding up the offended hand, "But I recover quickly, too. My hand had fixed itself within moments. I think you're right, I just needed to outlast him. But you! You took him out in under a minute! That was incredible! All of Namek owes you a great debt, Goku."

"Glad I could help," Goku smiled, "Now, uh...No offense, but I really need to get back to Earth."

Slug led him away from the debris, and gestured to the five Ginyu Force pods, "Of course. I recovered some of Freeza's attack pods, but other than telling it to land on a world with technology that isn't controlled by his Empire, I couldn't get it to do much else. So, I figured, wherever you end up, you'll be able to get directions to Earth."

"Do you know the name of the planet?" Goku asked.

"Some place called Yardrat, I think?"

"Well, if that's our best bet, I'll make do. If you're able to get ahold of Earth, let them know I'll be there as soon as I can, Slug."

"No problem, Goku. I'll work on it. And hey? Next time we meet, I want to test the Super Saiyan for myself! I'm going to get stronger, and next time something like Freeza comes along, it won't stand a chance against me!" Slug said.

"I'll bet! You were amazing out there, Slug! I'm looking forward to fighting with you!" Goku said, opening one of the pods. Slug waved to him.

"Good-bye, Goku! I'll protect Namek until the others return!"

"Good bye, Slug!" Goku waved back, entering the pod, and instructing it to leave. The pod floated in the air, and flew off into the sky.

"I can't believe it. The Super Saiyan. What a swell guy, too," Slug chuckled to himself as he watched the pod fly off. He could sense something else approaching the planet from the other direction. Slug immediately knew what it was, and hoped that Goku didn't sense it, too. Slug picked up the other two Pods, holding one in each hand, and balancing the other two on his shoulders, Slug flew off to Guru's hut.

Freshly carved in marble was a statue of Master Roshi in his slim fighting stance, placed carefully next to the house. Slug carefully set the pods down next to it, and entered the building.

"Did you bring food?" the tall, flat-headed alien with pink skin similar to the humans asked. He, along with a red-skinned alien with white hair, and a blue alien with a snakelike head, were chained up together in the bottom half of Guru's hut. They were huddled together opposite their other companion, a blue-green alien with long hair who kept shifting between forms, spouting nonsense and biting at anyone who came near.

"Not yet. But you don't have to worry. Someone is coming for you," Slug assured them. He floated up to the top floor of Guru's hut, and sat on the throne. There was a jar with a Namekian frog hopped about, firing Ki that bounced around and back into its mouth. Near the wall of the room, a sheet covered another object. Next to the throne was a simple pitcher of water and a pair of cups.

"What are you so upset about, hmm? I've given you food, water, a rock, and a stick with a leaf, what more could you want, huh?" Slug let out a laugh as he tapped at the glass. The frog hopped at him as if it were going to do anything but make the Namekian laugh more.

Slug felt the power approach the hut, and Slug rolled the car about in his hand, causing the frog to panic. The sound of the hover-chair reached him. It came to a slow, and then a stop, before stepping out and walking into the hut.

"The Ginyu Force?" a new voice gasped.

"King Cold! It's you!" they said together.

"You're alive?"

"Yes, King Cold! We...We were captured. The Saiyans, the same Saiyan who killed Lord Freeza, they defeated us! We never stood a chance!" Recoome said.

"Fools!" King Cold snarled, "You'll wish they had killed you! But there's another power here, that's the _only_ reason I'm here!"

A being that looked like Second Form Freeza floated up to the throne room, where Slug was still rolling the jar around. The being was lavender, where Freeza was mostly white, with shoulders that were even more broad. He wore dark navy and orange armor with a cape that was black on one side, and red on the interior. He also had a purple scouter on his face. He was only slightly taller than Slug.

"So. It seems my son missed one of the Namekians when he conquered this world," King Cold said. Slug snorted.

"Your son didn't conquer this world. This world destroyed him," Slug said, "And as Namek's protector, you have a short time to explain yourself before I destroy you."

"I am King Cold. Freeza's father, and, once, myself the Galactic Emperor. But without him, I am without a worthy heir. I came to this world to recover my son's remains, but imagine my surprise when I detected a power capable of destroying him at anything short of his true form. What, if I may ask, is _your_ name?"

"I am Slug, protector of Namek. And I believe we can make a deal," Slug leaned forward in the throne.

"What?" King Cold said.

"In the aftermath of the battle, I encountered your son in the wasteland. I have his remains. I'll give them to you, in exchange for something simple. Paltry, really. All I ask for is a ship. A fast one, with a bit of space to stretch my legs in, maybe have a few guests, and do a bit of intense exercise. What do you say?" Slug asked.

"If you have the remains of my son, I'll give you your own planet!" King Cold said.

Slug shrugged, "All right. Two planets, and the ship. Specifically, _this_ planet. You and your Empire vows to _never return_ to Namek."

"Why would I want this dirt ball anyway?" King Cold scoffed.

"Watch it. This is my _home._ The second planet, I don't really care, so long as I'm able to seed a civilization there, and it's not too far from here," Slug said.

"Two planets and a ship is a hefty price. Why shouldn't I just _kill_ you and take my son's remains?" King Cold wondered. Slug stood, and walked over to the object with the sheet over it.

"Because I didn't find your son's _corpse_."

Slug pulled the sheet off. King Cold gasped.

"I found _your son._"

Beneath the sheet was a medical pod. Inside, his vitals barely reading at all, was Freeza, missing both arms, most of his tail, part of his chest, bits of his head, and his entire left leg. Slug placed his hand on the glass.

"Now, if you're not in a haggling mood, I'm more than happy to dispose of him myself," Slug said with a shrug, and he charged a bit of Ki.

"NO! No, that won't be necessary. You have a deal, mister…?"

"Slug," the Namekian shook King Cold's hand, "Once you hand over the ship and the deed to my planets, you'll have your son back. Then, you can call me _Lord_ Slug."

"Fair enough. I'll have the ship delivered to you immediately," King Cold said.

"Pleasure doing business with you. Oh, and as a bonus of good faith, you may have Freeza's men back, whatever you can get off my planet," Slug said. King Cold scoffed.

"Keep them. They were worthless buffoons who failed us. They're no good to me," King Cold said. Slug shrugged.

"Very well, then."

King Cold tapped on his Scouter, and began relaying orders. Within minutes, a spaceship landed at the base of the plateau.

"Fully staffed and stocked," King Cold said. Slug poured water, and handed King Cold the second cup.

"To good business," Slug toasted.

"To good business."

They tapped the cups, and drank. Medical techs arrived, and began removing the medical pod from the hut, with King Cold berating them for incompetence during the entire procedure. He ignored the Ginyu Force's pleas to take them with him. Slug watched them load Freeza's pod onto another ship, and he held up the jar with the frog in it.

"Well, gentlemen, it seems you've been terminated from your previous positions, and find yourselves unemployed," Slug said, studying the frog, "But you're in luck. I just so happen to have some positions open for men of your talents."

He grinned down at the Ginyu Force.

"What do you say, Gentlemen?"


	37. Within Space

_Nappa and Tao's Ship  
December 21, A762_

"Gine, what happened out there?" Nappa asked. Gine wrapped her arms around his torso as best as she could, and squeezed.

"My boy. My Kakarot. He fought Freeza."

"What? Maybe he's still alive, maybe we can-"

She squeezed him tighter, "No, Nappa. He _won_. He became the Super Saiyan. I don't know if he survived the crash of that ship...But he beat Freeza. We're free."

Nappa wrapped his arm around her, and hugged her back, "I'm sure Kakarot is fine. If he beat Freeza, he can survive anything. We'll see him again."

Gine pressed her face against his chest.

"I want you to stay, Nappa. With us. On Earth. We'll be a family," Gine said.

"I'd like that, more than anything. I'm sorry I was such a fool, Gine."

Gine pulled herself up to his eye level, and kissed him on the cheek, "You're not the only one who's been a fool. Raditz and Kakarot got themselves killed fighting _each other._ Just, from now on, none of you are allowed to be idiots, okay?"

"I'll try," Nappa said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I didn't know Saiyans were capable of making so much _sap_," Krillin teased.

"Like pine trees instead of primates," Tien added.

"Heartwarming," Tao said flatly, turning back to the controls of his vessel. Tien scowled at Tao, and couldn't help but clench his fist. He was displeased at the very thought of spending a week with Tao on the trip home. The man had to be bribed to do the right thing and defend the Earth, and then had the gall to talk down to them like that.

Then it hit Tien.

_This_ was the darkness Guru had seen within him. He thought he'd left Shen and Tao behind, but that anger, that contempt was still there, deep inside. All the years of torture and torment, the abuse and belittling. Tien was still clinging to it, even after surpassing them and their teachings. Tien opened his mouth to say something, but turned away.

Accepting that he still had that darkness was one thing. Being ready to confront it was another. Tien went downstairs into the quarters to get some distance.

"Mother, do you have any Senzu Beans left?" Raditz asked, "Kakarot mentioned they could regrow limbs, and I'd like my hand back."

"Hmm? Yes, I do, actually. Kakarot gave me three, but I only gave away two, so I've got one left," Gine slid down off of Nappa and handed him the last bean. Raditz ate it, and grunted as he felt his stub begin to tingle. The tingle became a burn and a blunt feeling as the bones began to twitch and regrow. Raditz let out a yelp as the pain grew more intense.

"Raditz!" Gine held him, "What's wrong?"

His eyes began to twitch round, and he lost vision of the ship around them. He saw Dabura, heard his laughter in his ears. It became a high pitched cackle, and Raditz saw a small, yellow, hairy alien standing before a crystal ball.

Raditz clutched his forehead, which was starting to burn in an 'M' shape. Then, his vision just became the color pink, before returning to normal. Raditz looked down at his hands; his stub had indeed regrown his hand, but he felt more exhausted than ever. He wasn't in the main chamber of the ship, he realized, and he was covered in a blanket. He sat up, looking around; his mother was sleeping in the corner, her back against the wall. Raditz felt at his forehead; though there was phantom pain, he didn't feel anything on his skin. Raditz stood, going to the bathroom, and he began to poke at his skin in the mirror; there was nothing. He gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh good, you're awake, Raditz," he heard in his head. It was King Kai.

"Hello, King Kai," Raditz said, "Always a pleasure to hear your melodious chords in my mind."

"I'm a maestro of the vocals, I'll have you know," King Kai insisted.

"I bet you are," Raditz said, sitting down by his mother. She roused, and smiled at him.

"Raditz, you're awake!" she said tiredly.

"Uh huh. But I'm talking to King Kai right now, and he's very _loud_," Raditz said. She smiled and nodded, resting her head against his chest, and quickly falling back asleep.

"And melodious," King Kai said.

"And melodious," Raditz agreed with a chuckle, "What can I help you with, King Kai?"

"Are you willing to talk about that move you used on Vegeta yet? It's extremely important that you tell me the truth, Raditz," King Kai said.

"I wish I could, King Kai, I really do. It's not that I wouldn't. It's that I-" Raditz began to say, but something stopped him from saying.

"Oh, Raditz what did you do?" King Kai groaned.

"What I had to get back. To protect my family. I won't apologize for doing whatever it took. But I am sorry for deceiving you. Training you was honestly some of the best months of my, uh, life. So to speak," Raditz said. King Kai grunted.

"Well, I'm going to look into this, Raditz. I fear you may have gotten involved with something much worse than Freeza. I'll do whatever I can to help you," King Kai said.

"I appreciate that, King Kai."

"I do have good news, though. Your brother is alive, and he's headed to Earth, though he had to take a detour. He won't be back on Earth for a year and a half, unfortunately."

"That's great news," Raditz said. Gine roused.

"Hmm? What's good news?" she asked. Raditz pulled her close.

"King Kai says Kakarot survived. He'll be on Earth in under two years," Raditz said. Gine stretched and smiled.

"That is great news! I'll miss him until he gets back. Tell King Kai I said thank you," Gine said, standing up.

"You hear that, King Kai?" Raditz asked.

"I did. Tell her she's quite welcome. Stay safe, Raditz," King Kai said.

"You, too, King Kai," Raditz stood, following his mother, "King Kai says 'You're Welcome.'"

"I should send him a cake or something. How _would _I send him a cake if he's in the Other World?" Gine asked.

"Snake Way is the _longest_ driveway," Raditz said.

XXX

_Liberty's Center, formerly Freeza Planet 79  
December 24, A762_

The base, which had taken a massive amount of damage in the riot and the subsequent battle with the Dreadnought, was nonetheless in the midst of a massive party as the rebels cheered, drank, and ate. The feeling was almost infectious; for the first time, Vegeta almost felt like joining them.

Freeza was dead. The Super Saiyan was real.

For the first time in his life, he was free.

Leaving the shuttle he'd hijacked behind, Vegeta couldn't help but fly towards the base, doing a couple of loops just for the fun of it, a smile on his face.

Sure, he was going to do everything he could to surpass Kakarot. But, today, he was _free._

He landed in the command center, where Turles and Shive were singing an old Saiyan battle song and drinking straight from their bottles.

"Vegetaaaa!" Turles threw open his arms to him, "Come here, and give us a hug!"

"I'm good," Vegeta held up a hand.

"Oh, all right," Turles said, disappointed but taking another drink, "Still, kick back, enjoy yourself, for tomorrow we _fight!_ Freeza may be dead, but his empire is right for the picking!"

"He's right," Shive said, gesturing to the Galaxy map in the center of the room. Shive was clearly much more sober than Turles, "The Rebellion is capable of striking at any number of worlds within the next few days, and nobody will be able to match our power. Between the three of us, the Galaxy will once again belong to the Saiyans!"

"Huzzah!" Turles pumped his fist, still holding a bottle, into the air.

"And with you, Vegeta, as our King, nobody will question our authority!" Shive toasted to him.

Vegeta smiled, and said, "No."

"No?" Turles and Shive said together.

"I know you were trying to break me to make me go Super Saiyan, but you were right, Shive. I failed our people. I should have followed every lead to see if there were survivors, but instead I didn't even look. I'm not worthy. I didn't destroy Freeza, Kakarot did. I'm not Prince of Saiyans," Vegeta said, "I'm going back to Earth, and I'll find a way to surpass Kakarot on my own. You're the one who planned this revolution, Shive. The Empire is yours."

Shive shook his head, "I'm no Monarch, either, Vegeta. If I'd gone with Meys and Brussa, I could have made a difference, instead of just making everything complicated."

"You're here, making plans. That's more than I'm interested in," Vegeta said.

"Very well. I will lead the New Saiyan Empire as its stewart, until the House of Vegeta is ready to return, and once again be kings," Shive poured two glasses, handing one to Vegeta. Vegeta hesitated, but took the offered glass.

"Until we return, then," Vegeta said. They struck the glasses together, and drank.

"So, Earth, then? We'll get you a shuttle, you should be back within a couple days," Shive said.

"Yes, but only to get one of those Earth vessels with a gravity chamber, so I can get stronger while pursuing a different mission. There's one Saiyan I've failed for far too long. You said that my brother, Prince was still alive?" Vegeta gestured to the Galaxy map. Shive smiled, and nodded.

"There's a prison world, Cold Planet 255," Shive pulled up the coordinates, "It holds some of the Galaxy's most powerful criminals and enemies of Cold's empire. Herans, rival Frost Demons, world hostages, members of the Galactic Patrol, even mystical artifacts. Each, for one reason or another, King Cold didn't want dead or couldn't kill, but still wanted out of the way. It's more than enough to hold your brother. We were going to strike it one day, but I was going to wait until we had more resources before trying, given the extent of the security. Some of the guards make the Ginyu Force look like chumps, I won't lie."

"By the time I get there, this prison will be nothing more than exercise," Vegeta said, crushing the cup in his hand.

"Was that necessary," Turles lamented the cup.

"I have no doubt, Vegeta. I assume you're going to insist on doing this alone?" Shive said.

"I know doing things alone hasn't worked out for us. If I feel I need help, I won't hesitate to call Raditz and his family for help. But if I can do it alone, I will. Tarble is my brother. His suffering is my failure," Vegeta said. Shive nodded.

"Whatever you need, Vegeta. The New Saiyan Empire is behind you. But, for today, let us party. We've damn well earned it," Shive said. Vegeta nodded.

"Very well."

"If you're going to party with us," Turles shoved a bottle of alcohol into Vegeta's hands, "You need to be properly equipped. Now, let us see you drink like a Saiyan!"

"Yes, Vegeta! Show us how the Upper Class drinks!"

Shive and Turles began to chant 'Drink!' at him. Vegeta rolled his eyes, opened the bottle, and obliged them.


	38. Wish Upon a Dragon

_Capsule Corp Compound  
December 24, A762_

"So, you are the Grand Elder of Namek," Kami said.

"And you are the child of Katas," Guru said, smiling, "It is good to meet you."

"Was that my parent's name? It is good to know it. I am...In awe, I won't lie, to be among my people," Kami said. He smiled as Dedne and Cargo tugged at his robes and introduced themselves.

"You have worked so hard to protect this world, and maintaining your Dragon Balls all on your own is impressive. I am proud to call you my brother, Kami," Guru said. Kami's eyes widened, and he nodded.

"Thank you, Grand Elder. You honor me," Kami bowed.

"It is good that we have met on my final day. I would like to see your Dragon, as well. Moori should be here with the last Dragon Ball soon," Guru said, "But before he arrives, I wish to share with you their true power. For us the Dragon Balls are more than wish-granting orbs. They hold the memories and history of our people. Ours are so much larger than yours because they have been used for that purpose for so long. As you and your successors modify your Dragon Balls for the same purpose, your Dragon Balls will be prized for more than their wishes, but their wisdom, as well."

"I see. I always felt that the Dragon Balls were somehow incomplete. I would be delighted to learn from you, Grand Elder," Kami said. Guru rested his hand upon Kami's head, and Kami had visions of the history of Namek, its people, and how they constructed the Dragon Balls from fragments of holy space stones they had found when the Namekians were a Galaxy-travelling people. Kami, himself, had made the Dragon Balls from such materials on his vessel. Now, he understood how to not only tap into their full potential, but grow them over time as they gathered more memories and more power.

"I see. I will share this information into our Dragon Balls, and do what I can with Tsuno to store Earth's history with your Dragon Balls, as well, after you pass," Kami vowed.

"We welcome all the wisdom you have for us," Guru said.

"I'm here!" Moori called out, holding the Four-Star ball.

"He's no Porunga, but Shenron is still impressive," Kami said to Guru. A dozen Namekians lifted Guru's sedan, and brought him to the field where the other Dragon Balls had been gathered. Moori placed the Four Star ball in its place.

"Please, Moori. You were the one to gather them; it is your wish to make," Kami said. Moori nodded, and held up his arms.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth: Shenron!" Moori shouted. The sky grew dark, the Dragon Balls glowed golden, and the long, fierce Shenron covered the sky.

"Are we sure we should be doing this in the city?" Lemo asked Bulma.

"It'll be fine, West City is used to weirder things than this coming out of dad's lab," Bulma assured him.

"I am the Eternal Dragon, Shenron! Why have you summoned me? State your wish, so I may grant it!" the Dragon ordered.

"A bit grumpier than Porunga, it seems," Tsuno chuckled.

"He always has been, but he's got a good heart," Kami said.

"Eternal Dragon! I wish for all those slain on Namek in the attacks and aftermath with Freeza and his forces to be brought back to life!" Moori said.

"You ask for much, but it is within my power nonetheless, as you have gathered those dead here before me. It is done, but the one known as Roshi cannot be resurrected this way; I have already resurrected him once, this cannot be done twice. Your wish is granted, and I rest, once again!" Shenron declared, his red eyes glowing. Lightning struck all around the city. The Eternal Dragon glowed gold again, and exploded in a flash of light, with the seven Dragon Balls shooting off into the distance.

"Wait, they scattered? That didn't happen last time!" Lemo said.

"Of course they scattered, why wouldn't they? Every time the Dragon Balls are used, they find new hiding spots, so they have to be rediscovered," Bulma explained.

"Not the ones on Namek," Lemo said, "They just turned to stone and landed where they'd been when we summoned the Dragon."

"Another difference between yours and ours. Our Dragon Balls are used to record memories and histories. Yours are not quite as advanced," Moori explained.

"They're alive!" Dende called out, "Everyone is alive again!"

Dozens of Namekians walked out of the building, many of them cradling where they'd been injured. Dende and Cargo charged at their fellow children who had been slain by Freeza. They danced and cheered around one another, embracing and chatting with each other in Namekian.

"Oh! Wait!" an idea struck Bulma, "The Dragon didn't mention Goku! He'd been brought back to life with the Dragon Balls once, too! If he was "

"Huh? You're right, it didn't! He must still be alive!" Moori said.

"I knew it! That kid's the toughest in the universe! No jerk Freeza could take _him_ out!" Bulma cheered, hugging Moori, who was surprised, but hugged her back.

"My children...I am so happy to see all of you back. You are on Earth, and the monsters who attacked our world have been dealt with by the warriors of this world. We owe them a great debt. Soon, you will be able to return to Namek...But I am sorry to say, I will not be joining you," Guru said.

"Guru, no!" a Namekian held the Grand Elder's hand.

"I have been ill for some time, and the stress of losing you all has been too much for me. But seeing you all together, healthy and ready to tackle the future, my heart swells with joy and pride. I have prepared you all as best as I could. Please, take care of each other, of Earth, and our world. Do not fear the future, but do not forget the past, either. We have conquered another great tribulation that has threatened our way of life. It is time once again to change. Tsuno will take my place as Grand Elder. I love you all," Guru said, "Goodbye, my children, and my brothers."

Guru's form faded, and he disappeared, leaving the Namekians behind to mourn the loss of their Grand Elder.

"I feel like a voyeur," Lemo admitted, "Like going to a stranger's funeral."

Moori patted him on the shoulder, "You did your part to help us, Lemo. Guru was honored to have you here for this. I am, as well."

Lemo smiled, and nodded.

"I know we all have gone through so much," Tsuno said to his brothers, "We have long relied on Guru to lay brothers for us. But now the responsibility lays upon all of us. If you are interested in having children, please, consult with your Elder, and have the discussion within your village. The next generation of Namekians is ours to parent."

There was a general murmur of agreement and even cheer among the Namekians.

"Next, we honor our debt to the Earthlings, and we bring back their champions. Though we will have to wait a year to return home to fulfill this honor, the warrior Slug defends our world from intruders in our absence; Namek is in good hands. Please, bring the Dragon Balls, so I may bring back Porunga," Tsuno instructed.

The stone Namekian Dragon Balls were rolled out, and Tsuno began to concentrate Ki into the staff he had received from Guru. When the light was too much for anyone to bear, Tsuno slammed the staff down into the center of the arrangement of stones, and when the light faded, the Dragon Balls were once again active.

"_Takkaraput pop Porunga pupiritt paro!_" Tsuno called out, and once again, the sky grew dark. Lightning flashed, and the Dragon Balls glowed orange.

"This never gets old," Bulma admitted, "Oh wow! He's huge! I should have guessed, but the Namekian dragon is so much bigger!"

Porunga appeared, looming over the city. It spoke, this time in English.

"I am the Eternal Dragon, Porunga! Make your wishes, so that you may share in Namek's wisdom!" Porunga said.

"Mighty Porunga! There are three warriors of Earth, who have died in a great battle! Please, using each of our Three Wishes, restore the warriors Yamcha, Yajirobe, and Meys to life!" Tsuno called.

"A simple matter; they have been restored. Your wishes have been granted, and now I return to my slumber. Until Namek needs me again," Porunga stated, and the Dragon disappeared. The sky returned to normal, and the Dragon Balls returned to stones, dropping to the ground around Tsuno. The different Elders retrieved their Tribe's respective Dragon Balls. Tsuno gestured to Cargo.

"Yes, Grand Elder?" Cargo said.

"Master Roshi had begun to train you and your brother Dende, is that correct?"

"Uh huh!"

"Do you wish to continue that training? With Nail now fused with Piccolo, I will need a new bodyguard, and it is past time we restore the Warrior caste properly," Tsuno said. Cargo smiled, and nodded.

"Yes, Grand Elder!"

"Then I will have the warriors of Earth train you, until you are ready, and you will take your place by my side, Cargo," Tsuno said.

Moori beckoned to Dende, "I know you are young, but I would like you, too, to stay on Earth, and learn all you can from their Grand Elder, Kami. And you, in turn, will teach him. One day, you will return to Namek, and be a greater elder than I."

"Are you sure, Elder Moori?"

Moori nodded, "I find myself pulled to the Galaxy, now that my potential has been unleashed. One day, you will have yours unlocked, as well, and I hope you will join me, until our people need us on Namek."

"If the stars call to you, Moori, then they call to us all," one of Moori's tribesmen said, "You will not go alone."

"Yes, it is time Namek returned to the stars," Tsuno said, approaching them, "You are wise to leave Dende in the care of Kami. Is that all right with you?"

Kami nodded, "I have already chosen an apprentice, but I am comfortable taking a second."

"Well, if your whole tribe is going to space, I've got the perfect vessel for you," Bulma said, tossing a capsule. The Namekian starship pomfed out of the capsule, and the Namekians all gawked at it.

"This...This is a Star Urchin!" Moori said, rubbing his hand against the hull, "Guru had only told us stories of them!"

"Yep! We've made a few modifications, but there are more changes we can make. We'll fix it up for you, and we'll teach you all you need to know," Bulma said, "Before you know it, you'll be building these babies by the dozen!"

"Star Urchins are not built, they are grown. It takes a century to grow one big enough to molt a shell of this size. They are found deep in the oceans of Namek, and our people used to find their molts to build our starships," Tsuno explained, "As we have lost the art, I can only imagine the size of the shells in our seas."

"I would be honored to relearn the art from you," Moori said.

"So, these are the Namekians!" a new voice called out. They all turned, and saw a dog-man approaching with guards dressed in the uniforms of the Royal Guard. The Dog Man approached Kami and Tsuno, and offered his hand.

"I am King Furry, leader of Earth. It is my pleasure to formally welcome you to Earth," he shook Tsuno's hand.

"The pleasure is mine. Thank you for offering us refuge, your Highness," Tsuno said. King Furry smiled.

"Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything. The people of Earth, for all our faults, are nothing if not generous to our friends. We are happy to help our neighbors rebuild their world. If Namek ever needs refuge, or even if any of your people just need a friendly port, Earth is always open to your people," King Furry said.

"Thank you so much, Sire."

"And you! The Guardian of Earth. I never thought I would have the pleasure, and yet here you are! My goodness, it is an honor, sir," King Furry shook Kami's hand.

"I have heard and seen nothing but good things from you, King Furry. You have led the people of Earth well," Kami said.

"And you, um...Sir, I don't believe I've been told your name?" King Furry turned to Lemo.

"Huh? Me? I'm nobody, you can just call me Lemo, don't worry about it, Your Highness," Lemo said, rubbing his neck.

"Don't be modest," Moori said, "He's the reason we were able to recover the Dragon Balls. Without him, the whole universe may have been in danger."

"Then we owe you a great debt, mister Lemo," King Furry said, shaking Lemo's hand enthusiastically.

"Yes, of course, your Highness," Lemo said, his arm being shaken much too vigorously for his comfort.

"Bulma, your father told me everything about what's happened. You and your friends have done a great thing for Earth. You have my thanks," King Furry shook Bulma's hand, too.

"I didn't know you and my father were acquainted," Bulma admitted.

"Recently, yes. He's been keeping me apprised of the goings-on since the attack on Orange Star City. To think such horrible things were happening, just next door to Earth! I am grateful for you and your friends. To all of you! The Earth owes you a great debt for your sacrifices," King Furry said.

"Well, I'm glad we could help," Bulma said.

"Those fellows who died, that you'd brought back. When you see them, please, present them with these. It's the least we can offer them for their sacrifice," King Furry offered Bulma a box. Inside were three Royal Medals of Honor.

"Oh, wow, okay, yeah, I'll make sure they get them."

"Thank you all for your time! I was an honor meeting you all," King Furry waved to them, and was escorted off the compound by his guard.

"Wow...So dad's been talking with King Furry, huh? I wonder what he's really up to…" Bulma wondered, holding the box.


	39. Friendship Beyond Life

_Snake Way  
December 24, A762_

"Thanks for driving us through Snake Way, King Kai," Yamcha said, "I didn't expect this to go so quickly."

Sure enough, King Kai's 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air was cruising down Snake Way with no issues. At first it had been a bit frightening from the speed, but once the passengers had come to terms the car wouldn't fall of Snake Way, they had relaxed.

"No problem. It's really busy at my place since Goku showed up. I've got new students waiting already!" King Kai said.

"Really? Who's that?" Yamcha asked. King Kai snorted.

"You'll see."

"All right, then, keep your secrets," Yamcha snickered. As they passed Princess Snake's palace, they saw the Princess herself, who blew Meys a kiss; the Saiyan blushed and hid behind Yajirobe. Yamcha snickered at his friend's misfortune.

"I don't know why everyone was freaking out about this Freeza character. Goku had it in the bag the whole time," Yajirobe insisted.

"What happened to 'Goku's gonna die we're all gonna be here forever'?" Yamcha asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They pulled into a parking lot just outside the reception building, where someone was waiting for them. He had a full head of black hair, a pair of sunglasses, and a long moustache and beard. If it weren't for his Turtle School gi and shell, they wouldn't have recognized him.

"Master Roshi, is that you?" Yamcha gawked.

"You got it, boy," Roshi said with a grin, "One perk of being dead? I get to pick what body I want to show off. So, I figured, the beginning of the Turtle Hermit's the way to go. How do I look?"

"Sharp and handsome, Master Roshi! I'm impressed, you must've been quite the lady killer back in the day!" Yamcha said. Roshi's grin lost a bit of its power, but he nodded.

"You know it, boy! Meys, you're looking good, too! You've got some kick in that power of yours now, too!" Roshi said.

"You know it. I'm no Super Saiyan, but I've got tricks that even Raditz won't see coming, more than just the Kaioken," Meys flexed.

"And Yajirobe!" Roshi said, "I didn't even know you were dead!"

"Which makes my death all the more tragic, and my return all the more triumphant. Now you will all appreciate how much I contribute to the team!" Yajirobe insisted.

"...Uh huh."

"So, you're Master Roshi. Good to finally meet you, Yamcha wouldn't stop talking about you," King Kai shook Roshi'[s hand.

"The pleasure's all mine. Any teacher of Goku's is a friend of mine," Roshi said.

"Normally I'd have you run Snake Way, but all things considered, I think we can skip that formality. Besides, it's not every day I get to take this baby out for a drive on Snake Way," King Kai said, patting his car.

"Oh, yeah, don't think I didn't notice this baby. She's a beauty! You're a lucky man, King Kai," Roshi said.

"Ah, I see you're a man of taste. Good, we'll get along just fine. Now, before we head out, I've picked out a couple of fellow students," King Kai said, "I think you'll enjoy they're company. After all, they're old friends of yours."

"Hmm?" Roshi turned, and saw two men walking up to them. One was a Namekian who was tall, slim, and fit. Roshi recognized the other immediately as a youthful Son Gohan, with his black hair and peach-fuzz moustache.

"Gohan?" Roshi couldn't help but choke.

"Hello, Master. I would have gone with my previous appearance, but I had to do something to remind you you're still an old man," Gohan chuckled. Roshi rushed over and hugged his old student.

"I can;t believe it! Oh, King Kai, this is too much, thank you!" Roshi said. He looked over to the Namekian, whose smile was starting to reach the limits of his wide face.

"That must make you…" Roshi pointed to the Namekian.

"Come on, you must recognize your brother!" the Namekian said. Roshi's eyes widened, and he hugged him, too.

"Guru! I don't believe it! You're back!"

"I know we spent little time together on Namek, but when King Kai offered me the chance to be his student, I couldn't help but see you again, brother," the young Guru said.

"It's good to see you again. I don't think we were formally introduced last we saw each other. I'm Yamcha, and this is Yajirobe. We're some of Goku's oldest friends. He's told us a lot about you," Yamcha said bowed to Gohan.

"I've been watching you with him. Thank you so much for looking after my boy. Now I'm a grandfather, with a second grandchild on the way! Almost makes me wish I could go back for another day with Baba," Gohan said.

"WAIT, CHI CHI'S PREGNANT?" Yamcha yelped.

Gohan winked and put his finger to his lips, "Don't tell anyone, not even Chi Chi has found out yet. I only know because I've made it my business to look after Goku and his family here in the Otherworld."

"Oh, wow, another Gohan...Well, little Gohan," Yamcha said, "Goku's gonna flip when he comes home to a little boy!"

"Girl," Gohan corrected.

"A girl! Oh, jeez, you're making this difficult on me, aren't you, Master Gohan?"

Despite having a youthful body again, Gohan's chuckle was that of a mischievous old grandfather.

"Yamcha, would you do me a favor when you get back, and see Goku's family? Give them all my love, especially little Gohan. Tell Chi Chi I'm so happy she's found happiness with Goku, and I'm so proud of her for uniting my family with the Ox King. And tell Raditz he's got a good heart. And tell Brussa not to pick on her brothers too much. And tell Gohan that I'm always watching over him, and I'm proud of both the warrior _and_ the scholar he's becoming. And tell Goku, when he gets back to Earth, that I miss him every day. And tell Gine, Gine most of all, that I'm glad my Goku is back in the good hands he always belonged in. She's a good woman," Gohan said.

"I'll do that, Master Gohan," Yamcha vowed.

"Oh, and one last thing: Tell the Ox King to dig under the rock next to the old sycamore again. He didn't dig deep enough. He'll know what I'm talking about, though he might get real mad. But I always knew I was right," Gohan added.

"You've got it. What about you, Guru? Do you have any messages for the living?" Yamcha asked. Guru shook his head.

"Other than 'Thank you' to the Earthlings who haven't heard it yet, no. I've said my goodbyes. Though if you insist, please look after Slug. I fear he may be troubled," Guru said.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Yamcha gave him a thumbs-up. Guru hesitated, and then gave him the thumbs-up in turn.

"Yamcha, Meys, are you ready?" Kami asked, stepping out of the soul reception building, "Oh, and Yajirobe? I almost forgotten you'd died, too."

Yajirobe gave a dissatisfied grunt, "Some omnipotent Guardian you are."

"Well, we're ready to head back to the Lookout. King Kai, it's good to see you. Roshi, Gohan," Kami nodded to them. He smiled at the Namekian, "And Guru, of course."

"We'll see each other around, Kami," Guru said with a smile.

"Come along, everyone. There's a lot of people missing you back on the Earth," Kami led them back through the reception building, and back to the Lookout.

"So, what do you have for us first, King Kai?" Son Gohan asked, "Am I running Snake Way like my grandson?"

"No, I know you're worthy. I want to get you three into ship-shape as quickly as I can," King Kai said, "I've actually got a mission for you all before Roshi gets wished back to life. But first, there is one test I'll need you to pass before we can begin. It's the most important test of all: You each need to tell me a joke, and make me laugh."

XXX

_Briefs Mansion  
December 25, A762_

"So, explain all this stuff to me?" Meys asked. He held up the box that Yamcha had picked out for Meys to give to Dr. Briefs.

"It's Christmas. On Earth, you give gifts to people you care about. I've spent this holiday with the Briefs a few times, so I know what they like," Yamcha explained.

"So what did you get me?" Meys asked.

"Why, the gift of Yamcha," Yamcha said. Meys rolled his eyes. Yamcha knocked on the door, and the robot butler answered.

"Mister Yamcha, welcome back! I will inform Miss Bulma you have arrived," the butler showed them in. Yamcha nodded to the butler. Meys shook off all the snow that had gathered on his shoulders; naturally, Meys was carrying all the gifts.

"YAMCHA!" Bulma let out a happy yelp, and she launched herself at Yamcha from the stairs. He caught her handily, and they nuzzled.

"You're back," she said, pressing her face into his neck.

"Yup. Meys, too. And Yajirobe, but he just went straight to Korin's."

"Oh, yeah, he died, too," Bulma said, "Hi, Meys!"

"Hi Bulma," Meys said, waving the bottle of wine to her, "Have a good Christmas."

"It's 'Merry Christmas'," Bulma said.

"WAIT I HAVE TO GET MARRIED?"

Bulma laughed, "No. Just come upstairs."

She slid out of Yamcha's arms, and led them upstairs, holding Yamcha by the hand as she went, "Daddy, mom! Look who's here!"

"Hmm? Oh, hello, Yamcha, good to see you again. Meys, you too!"

"Hey Panchy, Hey Dr. Briefs," Yamcha waved to them, "We brought Christmas gifts!"

"Oh you're both just in time for Christmas Dinner, too, what good timing!" Panchy said.

"Wait, Christmas Dinner? Yamcha you didn't say anything about this," Meys said.

"Yeah, Christmas Dinner is a _big_ deal," Yamcha said, "So don't feel bad about whole whole Saiyan tonight."

"I'll put a second roast on, then!" Panchy said, "Or maybe a ham, do you like ham, Meys?"

"I love everything you just said," Meys said.

"I'll put on a ham."

"Hold up, Panchy, we got you something," Yamcha picked up the box with her name.

"Oh, a gift for me? You shouldn't have!" Panchy said, opening it, "Oh, would you look at this! A pandora bracelet, how cute, I had one just like it when I was a girl, I love it! Thank you, boys!"

Panchy walked over, planted a kiss on their cheeks, and went to put the ham into the oven.

"What'd you get me?" Bulma demanded, snatching her gift from Meys. His hands now mostly free, Meys handed the smallest box to Dr. Briefs. Bulma tore the wrapping off the box, and gasped.

"_STRAWBERRIES!_" she kissed Yamcha, "You know me so well!"

"I got you, babe," Yamcha chuckled.

"Oh, how novel!" Dr. Briefs held up the lighter they'd bought him. It was a model of Jackie Chun, and it shouted "Kamehameha!" when it was activated.

"Thought you'd like that!" Yamcha said.

"It's adorable, thank you boys!" Dr. Briefs chuckled. He put a cigarette in his mouth, and started the lighter. Sure enough, it fired out a blue flame and shouted, "Kamehameha!"

"And what'd you boys get me?" a new voice asked. Yamcha and Meys looked, and saw a blonde woman wearing a pair of overall over a cheesy Christmas sweater.

"Tights? Sorry, we would have gotten you something if we knew you were spending Christmas here," Yamcha admitted.

"Uh, who's this?" Meys asked.

"Could ask you the same thing," Tights said, "I'm Tights, I'm Bulma's older sister."

"Oh, it's good to meet you," he shook her hand.

"She's told me about you, Meys. She never mentioned you were cute," Tights said.

"Sis! Come on," Bulma groaned.

"What? You bring a space warrior to Dad's, and didn't even think I might want to see a picture? You know how much I like men with moustaches," Tights rubbed her finger beneath Meys's nose. Meys started to blush.

"Well, then, Tights, I present to you your Christmas present," Yamcha gestured to Meys. Tights's eyes widened, and she burst into laughter.

"Oh, wow, Yamcha, I think that's the first time you've ever made me laugh," Tights said.

"Mistress Bulma, Puar is here," the robot butler's voice declared from the loudspeaker.

"Let them in," Bulma said. Yamcha held up his finger to his mouth with a smile on his face, and stepped to the side, so he'd be just within Puar's periphery.

"Hi Bulma! I got your message, thanks for inviting me to Christmas Dinner! Sorry, I don't have any gifts," Puar said, floating up the stairs.

"That's okay, Puar, you don't need to get us anything. I know how hard it's been for you since Yamcha died," Bulma said.

"Yeah...I miss him a lot...But the Dragon Balls should bring him back soon, right?"

"Well, I _did_ use the Dragon Balls to get you a gift," Bulma said.

"_What?_ But Yamcha needed that wish! I'd give up every gift I've ever gotten just to see Yamcha again, Bulma!" Puar said, starting to cry.

"Is that a fact?" Yamcha said. Paur turned, gasped, and tackled him.

"Hey, buddy," Yamcha cradled Puar, "I'm happy to see you."

"It's been so hard without you, Yamcha! I'm so glad you're back!"

"Merry Christmas," Yamcha said, petting her.

"Merry Christmas, Yamcha!" she sobbed.

"Aww," Tights said, squeezing Meys's arm. Meys blushed harder.

"Dinner's on!" Panchy declared. Dinner was dominated mostly by Bulma recounting her adventures in space. Puar kept fussing over Yamcha the entire time, imagining scars and injuries and inspecting Yamcha, only to find no further injuries. Eventually, Yamcha feigned stiffness in his neck, and requested an ice pack for it, just so Puar would be satisfied that Yamcha did, in fact, have an injury, for which she kept inquiring about.

Meys's attention was split three ways, between wanting to know everything what happened on Namek, Panchy's marvelous cooking, and being surprised that Tights was also an accomplished space explorer, herself.

"Ever go to Nudal?" Meys asked.

"No, that's inside Freeza's empire. Too dangerous. Mostly I spent time with a Galactic Patrolman named Jaco," Tights said. Meys snorted.

"Oh, yeah, I know Jaco."

"Really? He's a character, isn't he?" Tights laughed.

"You can say that. Slippery, at least! I exhausted myself trying to kill him," Meys said, and then immediately regretted.

"Ugh, yeah, Jaco can be exhausting!" Tights said, "Believe me there were plenty of times I wanted to shoot at him!"

The night went on better than expected. Dr. Briefs, Panchy, and Puar ended up snuggling on the couch, watching some Christmas special. Meys and Tights ended up talking well into the night about their various adventures throughout time and space. Yamcha found himself sitting on the front porch, watching the snowfall over West City. Despite having grown up in the wilderness, the city had a way of Yamcha feeling alive, especially, weirdly enough, at night. The snow, paradoxically, sharpened the feeling.

"You look lost in thought," Bulma said, holding the unopened bottle of wine and a couple glasses.

"Kind of am," he admitted.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"How grateful I am that I met you and Goku," Yamcha admitted, "I spent so much time in the desert, I never thought how alive I'd end up feeling in the city. You really did open my eyes to a whole new world, Bulma. I can't thank you enough for that."

"Aww, thanks, Yamcha. And thank you for the strawberries," she said. He smiled at her.

"I figured you'd enjoy that."

"That's not all that's on your mind, though, is there?" Bulma guessed.

"...No, it's not."

"Come on, you can tell me. With everything we've been through?" Bulma said. He hesitated for a few moments, still looking out to the city.

"Nothing I want to say on Christmas," Yamcha said. Bulma checked her watch.

"All right. You've got ten minutes until it's not Christmas anymore," she said, setting a timer. Yamcha chuckled.

"Fair enough. Hey, what about the Namekians? I'm surprised we didn't have Christmas with them," Yamcha said.

"Oh, we did. Earlier today, anyway. Dad got them all watches with GPS trackers on them, so they'd be able to pinpoint their locations on Earth, or Namek, and always know what time it was in West City, or wherever they are on Namek. You know how he is, why would he give it one feature if it can have twelve?" Bulma said, laughing.

"Okay, well, what did you get them?" Yamcha asked.

"I thought of building them gadgets, but I figured Dad had that covered. So I figured, what's something anyone could use? So, believe it or not, I got them all utility knives. They were a little confused, but then I saw them starting to use them almost right away. Mom made them all breakfast _and_ lunch, despite the fact they only need water. Lemo taught them how to take care of Demsu for a few hours, too. Poor guy doesn't have anything left but Fleur," Bulma said.

"Yeah, you mentioned him at dinner. I'm surprised he didn't join us," Yamcha said.

"I offered, but he said he wanted to spend some time with Fleur. I guess he's got a lot going on in his head, and Christmas is a good time to clear your head. Or get totally smashed. Speaking of which, we never opened that wine you guys brought us," Bulma twisted it open, and poured two glasses. Yamcha accepted the glass and sipped.

"Where'd you get all that stuff, anyway?" Bulma asked, "There's not even a label on this bottle."

"Village called Chazke, all the way out by Mount Paizu. It's kind of why we were so late coming here. He insisted on buying from there," Yamcha said.

"Oh, yeah. He took me there once. They've got this tent boutique with some designs I'd _never_ have found in the city," Bulma said.

"Yeah, Meys is a great guy. Like, with Goku, you're always talking about fighting, but with Meys, you can talk about anything, _including_ fighting. When I was still getting used to the gravity on King Kai's planet, he suggested we play baseball, which was a little tough considering the whole planet is smaller than your yard," Yamcha said.

"To be fair, most places are smaller than my yard," Bulma said.

"Yeah, but you get my point. So we boarded up all the windows, get a bat and a ball, and start swinging. It's working, getting me in the groove of things, but then we hear some glass shatter."

"Oh no!"

"We'd protected the windows on King Kai's house, _but we'd forgotten his car!_"

Bulma burst into laughter, "Oh, that's too good!"

"King Kai gets furious, and of course _I've_ got the bat. Before King Kai comes out of his house, Meys snatches the bat from me, hands me the glove, and took the blame for it. King Kai forces him to fix the window, and then has him do laps _carrying the car_. Threatened to double the laps if he left a scratch on it, but the guy was careful."

"Wow, that sounds intense!"

"Yeah. You'd be surprised how well Yajirobe did, too," Yamcha said.

"Oh yeah, he was there, too," Bulma said, and then her watched beeped, "Oh, would you look at that. No longer Christmas. Happy Boxing Day."

"Happy Boxing Day," Yamcha said.

"So? Fess up. What's on your mind?"

"Well, we got the chance to look down at everything going on once in a while. We peeked in on Goku and his family. On you, too. They were so happy, with kids running around, all that noise and happy chaos. It was adorable, and heartwarming, and…" Yamcha took a deep breath, "...And it's not what I want."

Bulma sipped her wine, "...I think I know why you didn't want to do this on Christmas."

"I know I haven't...Been the best boyfriend, Bulma. I've been acting like I don't know what you want. And that's not fair to you," Yamcha said. She held his hand.

"I guess I haven't really given you the space or the chance to figure yourself out. You went from mugging people in the desert to being a baseball player within a few years," Bulma admitted.

"So...I think we should be honest with ourselves. About where we're going, and what we want," Yamcha said, "Because I don't think we can give it to each other. At least not right now."

"Okay," Bulma said, fighting the lump in her throat. She fought it with more wine; Yamcha did the same thing, "I think you're right."

"Doesn't make it easier, though."

"No," Bulma said with a laugh. She wiped her eyes, "I still like-like you. But that's not enough, is it?"

"I feel the same way. But yeah. It's not enough," Yamcha admitted. Bulma kissed him on the cheek.

"Doesn't change you're still one of my best friends. So, let's make Christmas a thing for us. Every Christmas, I want you and Puar here, okay?" Bulma said, "You're still family."

"Thanks, Bulma, I appreciate it."

They shared a few more glasses of wine, mostly in silence, before headed to bed. Yamcha waited for her to leave, before taking the last of the wine, left it on the kitchen counter, and went over to where Dr. Briefs and Panchy had fallen asleep. He scooped up the sleeping Puar, found the room they'd prepped for him, and laid down on the bed.

"Yamcha?" Puar said, mumbling.

"I'm right here, Puar," he said.

"You're really back," she meowed.

"Yup. And I'm not going anywhere this time, okay?"

"Okay, Yamcha," she curled up on his chest, and fell asleep. Yamcha stroked her back, and, eventually, drifted off to sleep, as well.


	40. Earthfall

_Capsule Corp Compound  
December 27, A762_

"Man, so three ships in one day? What are the chances?" Yamcha asked as everyone began to assemble in the yard to welcome the warriors home.

"Higher than you might think," Bulma said, "Considering they all left the same planet at the same time, with similar engine power."

"Oh, yeah, I didn't think of it that way."

The first ship to land was the longer, multi-room ship that Goku's family had left in. When it landed, the ramp struck the ground and the door opened. It wasn't all the way open when Brussa shot out of the ship and tackled Meys to the ground.

"MEYS! You're alive! I can't believe it, you're alive again!" Brussa began to squeeze.

"ACK! Brussa-it's-good to see...You too...Wow you...Got strong...Let me...Go…" Meys tried to push her off, but Brussa's grip was legendary.

"Oh, yeah, I kept your knife. I was gonna use it to stab Freeza but I never got close enough," Brussa stuffed the knife into Meys's pocket.

"Brussa, if you don't let him go, you'll strangle him," Yamcha said. Brussa took the hint, hopped off Meys, and hugged Yamcha.

"Whoop! Hey, Brussa, it's good to see you, too," Yamcha laughed. Puar nestled into Brussa's hair, hugging her. Brussa reached up with another hand and stroked Puar.

"You guys are alive!" she sniffed, "The Dragon Balls really worked!"

"And what am I, salt water?" Piccolo asked.

"YEAH! I mean, no. I mean, guys, you should have SEEN Piccolo, he went right up to Freeza and was like 'Oh no you don't!' and was like POW and Freeza was like AUGH and Piccolo was like HAH and then Freeza-" Brussa began to float in place, imitating the battle.

"We know, Brussa, we were watching from King Kai's planet," Yamcha said.

"Oh. Well, it was _awesome_," Brussa said. Chi Chi and Gohans stepped off the ship, and Brussa flew over to pick up Gohan and brought him over to Yamcha and Brussa, and she began to talk about how strong they'd all gotten, how brave Gohan was, and Goku becoming the Super Saiyan.

Chi Chi smiled at her sister-in-law and Gohan. Chi Chi had trained and fought so hard to get this point, and now, they were going to have peace. Her family had fought for that peace. She was looking forward to going back home, back to casual training and keeping their home, and not worrying about alien tyrants or demons anymore.

"Hey, Chi Chi," Bulma said, gesturing for a hug. Chi Chi obliged.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again. We missed each other on Namek!" Bulma said.

"Yeah. Where'd you go?" Chi Chi asked.

"We went to find somewhere else to hide before the Ginyu Force arrived. Then Porunga asked if I wanted to go to Earth, and I accepted," Bulma said.

"Then we missed each other by _minutes_," Chi Chi said, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"You, too! By the way, I want you to meet my sister, Tights!" Bulma pulled her over to Tights.

"The Princess Warrior Champion of Space!" Tights gestured to Chi Chi, who laughed.

"I don't know about that!"

Piccolo, meanwhile, was surrounded by Namekians, who were bombarding him with thanks and greetings. Piccolo kept insisting he wanted space, but a part of him bound him to stay, and he felt that he knew all the Namekians. Kami couldn't help but snicker at Piccolo's discomfort and conflict about being surrounded by his people.

"Piccolo? My name is Cargo!" the boy Namekian floated up to Piccolo's eye level.

"Good for you, kid."

"Grand Elder Tsuno asked me to train to take Nail's place, so I'm staying on Earth to learn. Will you be my teacher?" Cargo asked. Piccolo's eyes widened, and he hesitated.

"Yeah. Sure, I'll teach you," Piccolo said, "But it won't be easy. I don't wait for slackers, all right? You'd better keep up!"

"I promise, I will!" Cargo vowed.

"Ready up everyone," Dr. Briefs said over a loudspeaker, "We've got the second ship incoming!"

Everyone looked to the sky. The spherical Capsule Corp vessel that Nappa and Tao had taken landed next to the larger vessel. Brussa bounced up and down in excitement, sensing her family aboard. The ramp lowered, and the door opened. Krillin was the first out of the ship, and he darted away from the ship.

"I'm _done_ with you dirtbags!" Krillin growled.

"Oh _we're_ the dirtbags, Mr. Won't-clean-his-shirt!" Tien shouted at him as he left the ship.

"You're one to talk. You'd think you wouldn't _sweat_ so much with no hair to warm your body, but you left puddles _everywhere!_ You didn't even clean it up!" Nappa snarled.

"I'm thoroughly done with _all_ of you," Tao said, hoisting the sack of loot over his shoulder, "_All_ of you, do you hear me?"

Tao stormed off into the building, seething, and demanding to see Dr. Briefs immediately. Gine and Raditz were the last to leave the ship. Raditz looked confused, while Gine was amused. Raditz was assaulted by a speeding Brussa, who jumped from Yamcha to Raditz, with Puar still clinging to her hair. Gine went in for the hug, as well. With Brussa still clinging to him, Raditz walked up to Meys.

"You couldn't have waited ten minutes for me and Kakarot? You _had_ to try and face Vegeta yourself?" Raditz said. Meys shrugged.

"Pride makes a man do stupid things," Meys said.

"Sure enough."

"Wait, if that's everyone, who's on the third ship?" Bulma asked.

"Could it be Kakarot?" Brussa asked, flicking her tail.

"No, King Kai told me Kakarot wouldn't be back for another year," Raditz said.

"A YEAR? Goku's not going to be back for a YEAR?" Chi Chi shouted, "What's he DOING out there in space? I'm going right back and getting him!"

"Chi Chi, with his velocity and direction, you'd basically be trying to shoot a bullet with a bullet, and that's even if you knew where he currently is, which you _don't_," Bulma said.

Raditz nodded, "There's a lot of danger still out there, too. He may have killed Freeza, but it'll take weeks for news of his death to reach the rest of his Empire. If anything they'll be more agitated and looking for something to shoot. I hate to say it, but we may need to just let him come back on his own time."

"Darn you, Goku," Chi Chi muttered. Gine rest her hand on her daughter-in-law's shoulder to comfort her.

"Ugh! A _year_? Kakarot's too slow!" Brussa harrumphed, "Come on, Gohan, let's go try and be Super Saiyans!"

"Hold on," Brussa grabbed her daughter before she took off, "Someone else is coming, remember?"

"But it's not _Kakarot!_ It can't be anyone _important!_" Brussa insisted.

"That's one of Freeza's ships!" a Namekian called out, pointing to the vessel approaching. While the Namekians were afraid of the approach of the vessel, the warriors of Earth did not seem to fear it.

"Don't worry. It's just Vegeta," Piccolo assured them. Sure enough, the vessel landed next to the other two, and the Prince stepped off the ramp, to the silent and tense welcome of those gathered. Vegeta crossed his arms and, prepared to say nothing, began making his way towards the main building.

"My friend!" Grand Elder Tsuno called out, "It is good to see you again!"

Vegeta turned to the Namekian, eyebrows raised, "Oh. You're alive."

"Of course,thanks to you and your warning. As you said, we are friends, are we not?" Tsuno chuckled, "It is good to see you again. Allow me to be the first to welcome you back to Earth."

Tsuno bowed slightly. Offput by the greeting, Vegeta returned the gesture, and looked around to everyone around him. Meys was the first to approach him. He drew his knife, and threw it into the ground. Vegeta looked down at it, pulled it out, and handed it back to Meys, handle first. When Meys took it, Vegeta didn't let go.

"That moustache still looks _awful._"

"Good thing it's not on _your_ face, then."

"Yes, but _you_ don't have to look at it."

Meys smirked, took the knife, and slid it back into its sheath, "Welcome to Earth, Vegeta."

When it was clear Vegeta wasn't going to slaughter anyone, the crowd began to break up. Piccolo took his new apprentice, Cargo, and found a quiet place for them to train. Despite Piccolo's objections, Krillin, who had no place but Kame House, joined them. Kami took Tien and Dende back to the Lookout, along with Tsuno. Moori began to find volunteers of Namekians who wanted to explore with him and his tribe. Only Yamcha remained behind, wanting to taste Gine's cooking, having heard stories from Meys.

The Saiyans, always hungry, stuck around Capsule Corp at least so Chi Chi and Gine could make dinner. Conflict between the two was resolved by having them cook in the main kitchen, meant for events rather than personal cooking.

"Human woman," Vegeta said to Bulma before she entered the mansion.

"Uh-uh. Absolutely not," Bulma said, turning on her heel, "Care to try again? This time using my _name_, which is 'Bulma'."

Vegeta took in a sharp breath, and said through his teeth, "_Bulma._ I require one of your spaceships."

"Why? You already have one."

"Nappa's had a gravity chamber in it. I need to train."

"Knock yourself, it's not going anywhere. But you'll have to share with all the other fighters, and Brussa doesn't like giving up her turn," Bulma said.

"I don't just need the gravity chamber. I need it because it's a ship, too. There's something I need to do, and I need to prepare ahead of time," Vegeta said.

"Is it 'Take over the Earth'? Because the answer is no."

"Earth woman-Ack, _Bulma_, it's a...Family matter."

"You're the last Noble of a dead race, what family matter could you possibly have left?"

"My brother is being kept in a prison. If I don't perform a rescue, they might execute him," Vegeta said, "I can't let that happen."

"Oh. That's...A pretty good reason," Bulma admitted, "Well, okay. But promise me, you'll at least stay the night. You look exhausted, and you probably haven't had a real meal since you came to Earth. You won't do your brother any good, exhausted and stressed out."

Vegeta crossed his arms, "Who is cooking?"

"Gine and Chi Chi."

Vegeta gave a harrumph, "I suppose I could humor her."

Bulma grinned, "All right. Come on, then."

When Bulma arrived with Vegeta in the dining room, conversation was already light, but it stopped when Vegeta arrived. Even Puar stopped begging for pets from Raditz and Meys, and ran to Yamcha. Tights, who'd been standing near Nappa, slipped into the next room. Vegeta had been in many life and death battles throughout his life and career, but this was absolutely the worst situation he'd ever been in.

The tension was broken when Gine and Chi Chi both entered the room, trying to fit through the door at the same time while not spilling the plates of appetizers they'd made. Chi Chi won the race, but only when Gine noticed Vegeta, and she backed off. Chi Chi, not noticing the tension, laid her plates on the table, and let out a satisfied, victorious 'Hmph!'

Bulma rested her hand on Chi Chi's shoulder, and Chi Chi then returned to reality, and realized what was going on. Meys broke the anxiety by pulling a chair, and gesturing for Vegeta to sit. Taking the relief, he did.

"Chi Chi, can you handle the rest of the meal?" Gine asked.

"Yes, of course. Bulma, could I get a hand?"

"Yeah," she said, following her out of the room.

"I'll help," Yamcha said, following them.

Vegeta held his hands together, and then looked around.

"We're missing four," Vegeta said.

"Just Shive," Nappa said, looking around. Vegeta shook his head.

"We were _always_ missing some of ours. There were more of us. Shive knew, probably for years, about dozens of Saiyans captured and experimented upon and executed by Freeza. For years, I was so arrogant to not even look. Too cowardly to even hope. If I'd had Shive's drive, if I hadn't been such a fool, we'd have known. But now, we only have four missing. Shive, of course. But also Kakarot, who saved us all."

Nappa facepalmed, having forgotten him, "Sorry, yeah. Kakarot. I guess I'm still thinking of the old team."

"But also Turles, who was strong enough to survive that hell. And the one person who I _knew_ of, the one person I should have _cared_ about, my brother," Vegeta said. He straightened up in his chair.

"You've all shown me, time and again, what the Low Class can accomplish. You've all left me behind, in terms of power, and I've failed all of us, as your Prince. I am unworthy of the title. But I will be," Vegeta said, "I promise you."

"I've hurt all of us, too. Even you, Vegeta," Nappa said.

"We've all hurt each other, and ourselves. Earth is the second chance we don't deserve," Gine said, "Whatever happens, we face it together. Pride is more than dignity, and it's more than power. Meys taught us that."

Vegeta considered the appetizers laid on the table. He took one, and popped it in his mouth.

"Oh thank goodness, I was waiting for someone else to start," Brussa started piling food onto her plate and then stuffing her face, "Listen, Vegeta. You're a jerk. You've always been a jerk, and I hate you."

There was a pause, until Gine said, "...And?"

"...And what? He's a jerk, and I hate him," Brussa said. Gine rolled her eyes. Brussa let out a grunt, finished chewing, and swallowed, "So, um...Stop being a jerk, and I won't hate you? I don't know what you want me to say. You've treated my father like a lackey, my mother like a servant, and my brother like a nuisance. I know we're supposed to stay together, but you've made it really hard to stand with you, Vegeta."

Vegeta made a fist, fighting the surge of anger that rose up in him at the insolence, "I'll earn my place, Brussa."

She shrugged, popping a few more morsels into her mouth, "We'll see. I'm going to start by rescuing my brother, and bringing him here. His weakness is not an excuse for him to suffer, and leaving him to that is a slight against all of us."

"Then we're going with you," Gine said. Vegeta shook his head.

"Earth is a target. It needs you to defend it. I need to get strong, anyway, and I need to do my part. The only things I did on Namek was recover _one_ Dragon Ball and kill Dodoria."

"Then you're going to need a training partner, and someone to watch your back," Meys said, and he pointed his thumb to himself, "Gine and her family may have roots, but I've spent the last couple months dead. I haven't punched anything since ending my training with King Kai, and I'm eager to get back into the action. So you aren't going alone, Vegeta."

"I've had enough of spaceships for a while," Nappa said, shaking his head.

"I'm with Meys," Yamcha said, coming in with another plate of food, "We've learned a lot with King Kai, and I'm eager for some action, too. Just so long as we're back before the preseason."

"You'll need a navigator," Tights said, having been eavesdropping from the other room.

"We don't need a liability hanging around with us, Earth Wo-Uh…" Vegeta said.

"Tights Briefs. I'm Bulma's _older_ sister, and I've been travelling and adventuring with the Galactic Patrol for twenty-five years. I might not have Bulma's knack for science, but I can still build a spaceship with my eyes closed, _and_ I'm a hell of a shot. You're not going to find a better pilot on Earth," Tights said. Meys grinned, but tried hiding it by stuffing his face.

"Sounds like you've got yourself a team, Vegeta," Yamcha patted him on the shoulder.

"Two Earthlings and a Saiyan I've killed once. I'm so filled with confidence," Vegeta grumbled.


	41. Super Elite

Capsule Corp Compound  
December 28, A762

Brussa hugged Meys.

"You just got back," she said. He rubbed her hair.

"I know, Brussa. It's not the first time I've done back-to-back missions. We'll be back soon, don't worry," he said.

"Be back before Kakarot gets here, okay?" she demanded.

"I promise," he said.

"Why is the cat coming with us?" Vegeta asked Yamcha.

"Puar's my buddy. She's gotten me out of more jams than I can count. Trust me, she's going to help," Yamcha said. Puar's face changed to Vegeta's, and she gave him a raspberry. Vegeta sneered, and turned to Dr. Briefs.

"Is the ship ready?" he asked.

"All fueled up and systems are all good to go. Despite having flown into a battlefield, my girl's still solid. We've got all the furnishings cleaned up, and the gravity chambers are good to go," Briefs patted the hull of the Capsule Ship 2, the vessel the on family had used.

"Hmm. No. There's one thing missing," Tights said, and she darted into the garage. Coming out with a can of spraypaint, she painted 'Sadala's Revenge' on both sides of the ship.

"There," Tights declared, putting the cap back on the spraypaint, "Now it's ready to go."

"How'd you hear about Sadala?" Meys asked. Tights grinned at him.

"Like I said, I've been traveling the stars for twenty-five years. There are some Galactic Patrolmen that haven't had adventures like I have. You learn a few things. What do you think, Vegeta?" Tights asked. Vegeta just stepped up onto the ship.

"He's going to be a delight to spend the next month with," Tights rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, not gonna lie, Vegeta's a hardass," Meys said, "But at least he's not insulting us right now, which is what he normally does, just as soon as look at us."

"Well," Tights rolled the can of spraypaint in her hand before stuffing it in her bag, "He'll loosen up. C'mon, let's go to space."

Meys, Tights, and Yamcha said their good-byes to the Briefs and the Saiyans, and took off into space.

"No, I'm told you and Nappa achieved your new power by practicing and training. I didn't realize you could make such massive gains without true battle," Vegeta said, almost immediately after takeoff.

"Yeah. Yamcha and I trained in ten-times gravity, which was nothing. Nappa, Raditz, and Kakarot got all the way to one hundred-times training, along with that Tao fellow," Meys said, "Brussa and Gohan hit eighty, and Gine got to seventy with Chi Chi. They're probably working towards the one hundred mark now."

"Then we match them, no less than that, by the time we reach our target. If one hundred-times gravity is where they went, that's where we're going," Vegeta said, throwing his bag into a corner, "We begin immediately, we train until we get there"

"You've never done this before, have you?" Yamcha said.

"Yeah, Vegeta, that's actually a really bad idea," Meys said, "We're used to getting stronger by fighting, but training isn't like that. We'll go through warmup, then train, warm down, and then rest. Like running up a hill, or flying up and then coming back down. If we go all out all the time, we'll hurt ourselves."

"What do you know?" Vegeta scoffed.

"No, he's completely right. That's how Master Roshi taught me, Krillin, and Goku: Train hard, study hard, rest hard. Going all the way all the time is a good way to break yourself," Yamcha explained, "I'll set us up a regimen, and we can get started. Since we're all used to ten-times gravity, we'll start off at twenty-times, and we train under that until it's effortless. Then we go up to thirty, and repeat."

Vegeta hesitated. He wanted to shout and demand, but reconsidered when Yamcha mentioned Roshi, "If that's how the old man taught you, then that's how we'll do it."

Yamcha nodded.

"Good, now that the gym schedule is set, we've got something else to sort out: We can't just go straight to Cold Planet 255. We don't know anything about this place other than its location on the galactic map," Tights said, "We're going to need more information."

"Shive and Turles already gave me all the information they know. Its head of security is a man named Captain Wata, but they rotate their guard to make sure that they always end up with recent field experience," Vegeta said.

"That's not nearly enough information, but it does give me an idea on how we can get in," Tights said, "I'm going to hit up a contact of mine, and see what we can squeeze out of him. I'll find out where he is, and the three of you can train until I sort this out."

"We don't have time to go off talking to people!" Vegeta insisted.

"We have time to do this right. I'm not getting killed because you didn't want to wait," Tights said.

"Think about it, Vegeta: We didn't get called in for our missions until a lot of intelligence was acquired by other teams. We don't have other teams to do that legwork for us. Let Tights handle that part of the mission, and when we're ready, we'll strike," Meys said.

"I'm not saying this to contradict you, Vegeta, I'm saying this because it's the smart thing. The more we know, the more we prepare, the better chance your brother has. I won't do anything to compromise the mission, I promise," Tights said.

"All right. We begin training immediately, though," Vegeta insisted.

XXX

Planet Makchay  
January 1, A763

Four days of training, and the warriors had reached 50 times gravity. This frustrated Vegeta, who kept holding them to Goku and Raditz's record of reaching 100 times gravity in under 4 days. Yamcha had countered that Goku and Raditz had used Senzu beans to replace their periods of downtime, and that they only had so many Senzu Beans from Yajirobe and Korrin.

Tights had brought a large collection of films and TV shows for them to enjoy during their downtime. Vegeta, initially, insisted that Earth entertainment held no interest for him, until Tights got him hooked on aristocratic period dramas, which, while he insisted he only watched because it was what was on, was always his only request when the subject was broached.

Gine and Chi Chi had prepared piles of meals for them, along with ready-to-eat and fresh food. After Meys and Vegeta went through large portions of the homemade meals, however, Gine and Chi Chi's cooking was rationed by Yamcha. Vegeta insisted that Meys's cooking was disgusting and refused to eat anything he prepared, but Tights and Yamcha didn't find anything to object to.

Since Vegeta insisted on complaining about Meys's cooking, Yamcha and Tights forced Vegeta to begin watching cooking shows at least once a day, and following along. The resulting messes brought an end to their forcing the experiment, but Vegeta continued to watch his 'educational' programming, occasionally attempting the simpler recipes, which were met with lukewarm approval. Vegeta said he didn't care, but insisted on getting their opinions anyway.

Meys and Tights attempted to be subtle about their liaisons, mostly disguised as 'medical attention' after 'intensive training.' They wouldn't show affection during meals or downtime. While it was transparent that they were sleeping together, the facade was broken when, on the third night, Vegeta caught Meys tiptoeing from his quarters to Tights's.

Meys froze in place when he noticed Vegeta looking at him. He opened his mouth to say something, when Vegeta simply smiled, and entered the bathroom. Having received Vegeta's approval, Meys stopped with the sneaking, and entered her room.

On the morning of New Year, Tights awoke with the lamest New Year's hangover she'd ever had, and the smell of omelettes. She rolled over, and found that Meys had cooked her breakfast.

"Moustache, tough and strong, explored the Galaxy, a cheesy romantic, and you cook for breakfast in bed," Tights said, "Did I score big or what?"

"I'm also a communications officer. I can build a faster-than-light communicator out of a jar of acid, some copper wire, and a crystal," he added. Tights chuckled, sitting up and taking the offered breakfast.

"So where are we headed?" Meys asked.

"Makchay. It's this little fuel stop on the edge of Freeza's empire. I called my contact and told him to meet us there. It's basically neutral space, too poor for anyone to care and too far for anyone to bother. They have the shittiest hole in the wall bar, so naturally it's my favorite place," Tights said.

"Is it the one with the Boccshoi Guitar player that's torturing his instrument?" Meys asked. Tights had to fight snorting the omelette from going up her nose, and nodded.

"That's the one."

"That place is awful, I loved it so much. You could just feel the loathing. They really didn't care who you were, they hated you. I've never felt more at home," Meys said.

"When were you there?"

"Like, ten years ago. Brussa was being a brat, so I took a solo mission to get away from her and Vegeta for a while. When I was done, it was, believe it or not, on the way back."

"Wow, talk about the Sticks of the Galaxy if it was between your mission and home."

"It wasn't far enough, trust me," Meys said.

"So, I gotta ask, have I broken any Saiyan taboos?" Tights asked. Meys shrugged.

"I mean, you're not a Saiyan, so there's that. But other than that, picking and claiming a male you liked, that's...Kind of how it happens. I mean, you didn't punch me in the face like my last partner, before dragging me to her hut."

Tights snorted, "She punched you and dragged you to her hut?"

Meys shrugged, "Celry was direct like that. Most of the time they fight until there's a winner, and then they go to the home of whoever won. Celery, though, she liked to get to the point, and wasn't interested in having a 'conversation.'"

"Do you miss her?" Tights leaned against him. It wasn't a question of jealousy or prompting emotion, but a genuine curiosity.

"Yeah. We grew up together, so I think a big part of it was she was sick of waiting, and wanted to make it clear to everyone else she'd made up her mind. I guess we were meant to be, in a way. I mean, if our planet hadn't...Y'know."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

Meys shrugged, "I came to terms with our extinction a long time ago. I think the hard part is coming to terms with it not being inevitable now. I do miss my brother, Milho, most of all. He was more suited for the whole 'Warrior' thing. Being a communications officer, you end up building networks of people, and find neat ways to solve problems. After Planet Vegeta, though, I didn't get much chance to do that anymore."

Tights ran her arm down his, and held his hand, "I thought all Saiyans were supposed to be warriors?"

Meys chuckled, "No. I mean, yeah, I went through training and I was assigned as General Nappa's bodyguard. I was good at it, I wasn't a weakling. And, yeah, I enjoy fighting. I guess you could say I like fighting, but I always hated war. That's why I signed up for the spot. If something was tough enough to get to Nappa, it was a good fight for me. But I didn't have to worry about the slaughter as much. The alternative was to go be a gladiator, and they don't have long lives. So, comm officer and bodyguard for General Nappa."

"I think I understand," Tights said, "After this mission, what do you want?"

"I don't know. For me, peace was never an option. Getting stronger meant war, but we've found a different way. I like the idea of saving people, but...I also like the idea of not having another battle on the horizon. Just being able to take care of myself and the people I love."

Tights ran her finger along Meys's chest. He ran his thumb through her hair.

"Now you're thinking of something."

"I dunno, I guess I just never-"

There was a pounding on the door.

"Meys! Training begins now!" Vegeta barked.

"Wait, how did he know you were in here?" she asked.

"He may have spotted me sneaking in," Meys rubbed his neck.

"Ugh, I hate it when people find out I've got a boyfriend," Tights admitted, "Bulma loves the attention, but I hate it. You'd better get dressed, then."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to deny the Prince his playtime," Meys said, eliciting another chuckle from Tights. Meys slipped back into pants, changed into his training outfit in his room, and joined Vegeta and Yamcha in the gravity chamber. After a few hours of training, during wind-down, Tights announced they'd arrived at Makchay.

"Let the woman go alone, she's the one who insisted on dragging us out here. We can keep training," Vegeta insisted.

"We're not letting her go out there alone," Yamcha said, "We came all this way, we might as well find out what her contact knows."

"Besides, Vegeta, if she gets attacked, and there's a good fight, you'll have missed it. And if there isn't, you'll still get to show off," Meys pointed out. Vegeta grunted, conceding the point.

Yamcha wore his Turtle School gi, meaning he stuck out as being overly unique. This meant that, in this place, he fit in, as uniforms were unusual to see on Makchay. Meys wore a pair of overalls with hardened plates and lots of pockets, which made him look like a mechanic. Vegeta had an armor vest over his blue body glove, and a black leather jacket which Tights insisted he wore to not look like he was a member of the Freeza Force. They replaced his gloves and shoes with functional equivalents to make it look like he was merely wearing the armor under his jacket. Tights wore a green tanktop, a red skirt, and leather boots.

"Excuse me," a little green Makchayan called out to them, waddling over in the spaceport, "Starship parking and refuel is five hundred credits!"

"Oh, damn, all my credits are back in our old quarters," Meys admitted.

"I forgot to bring any…" Tights admitted.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Yamcha said, "What's your name, Mister?"

"Miss Kraff," the Makchayan said.

"Miss Kraff," Yamcha nodded, "I'm afraid I'm a bit new to these parts of the Galaxy, so you may not have heard of me. But back where I'm from, I'm a big sports star. You see, I'm Yamcha, of the West City Tai Tans."

"So you have credits, then?"

"I have something much better," Yamcha said, producing a baseball card of himself and a pen, "I've got my autograph."

Kraff did not look amused. Yamcha signed the card and handed it to her.

"And this is worth…?" she prompted.

"Your weight in gold. I've seen signed baseball cards be sold to collectors for over a billion Zeni."

"What's a Zeni?"

"It's, uh, the money where we're from. A billion Zeni is a lot, you can buy a house with that kind of cash," Yamcha said. Kraff considered.

"Yamcha's not just any baseball player! He's the greatest baseball player ever to life! Once he retires, that card will be worth a lot more than just a billion Zeni!" Puar said.

"All right. I'm a fair business woman," she said, writing something on a pad, "You ever need to land here, just use this code, and you won't be bothered. But if I find out this card's worth nothing, I'm putting a bounty on your heads, hear me?"

"I wouldn't dream of fooling the lovely Miss Kraff," Yamcha said.

"You better not," she said, and she turned away.

"Smooth moves, Yamcha," Tights said.

"What can I say, the ladies love me," Yamcha chuckled, stepping out of the spaceport and into the city. It wasn't a big city; it was a few blocks of single-story buildings, though a few reached up to three stories. There were a few hover vehicles, but most people were walking or flying. Tights led them into the city, and between a few alleyways, until they found the bar they were looking for. It didn't even seem to have a name. There was an orange-skinned, muscular bouncer at the front who glared at them like they'd just insulted his shoes.

"This is the place," Tights said, leading them in. Yamcha nodded to the bouncer. Meys ignored him. Vegeta gave him a glare of equal contempt. The bar was mostly wood, with cheap chairs and booths, and smelled like cheap booze and food.

"Jaco!" Tights called. A short alien with teal skin and yellow, bulging eyes wearing the uniform of a Galactic Patrolman looked up from a booth.

"Tights! Why did you ask me to meet you in such a contemptible place? I'm a Galactic Patrolman, it's unseemly for someone of my authority and importance to be seen in a place like this!" Jaco insisted.

"Uh huh. Why don't you order some food for us, huh?" she said, pushing him into the booth. Meys sat next to her. Jaco glared at Meys with suspicion.

"What's good here?" Yamcha asked.

"Nothing, this place is terrible," Meys said, "Get the Rolpols, with extra butter."

"I want centide poppers," Vegeta said.

"I'm surprised you know what those are," Tights said, "I'll have a cheesehopper sandwich and a couple pitchers of gasnaut for the table."

"Oh, can I get a plate of fried tonnal, and a bowl of dunne soup?" Meys said.

"I guess I'll get the...Rolpols with extra butter?" Yamcha guessed, "I'll share with Puar."

"It's a party on Jaco's dime then," Jaco grumbled, "Fine. Waiter?"

"What?" the waiter snarled, causing Jaco to flinch.

"Uh, I'd like to order?"

"Why didn't you say so?" the waiter growled, and Jaco repeated their orders, including his own. The waiter left, and Jaco looked around the table at his odd companions.

"So, Tights, who are your friends?" Jaco asked.

"Hi, I'm Yamcha, from Earth," Yamcha shook his hand.

"Oh, finally, an Earthling with manners," Jaco said, "And the other two?"

"They're Saiyans," Tights said, writing something down in her notebook.

"What? Saiyans, here? P-Please, don't destroy me, I won't tell anyone you were here!" Jaco pleaded.

"All right," Meys shrugged. The waiter returned with a couple pitchers of what seemed to be green slime and a stack of cups. They slammed the pitchers down, causing some of the slime to spill. Yamcha looked on in disgust as the others poured the slime into the cups, even Vegeta, and chugged the stuff like it was water.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Yamcha wondered as he poured a bit for himself, "Well, when in space…"

He drank it, and, despite its thick consistency and the fact it was warm, it was actually very sweet and easy drinking. It was alcoholic, but very subtle. Finding it to his liking, Yamcha filled the cup, and sipped, making sure not to indulge too much.

"Tights, when did you start hanging out with the Saiyans? I heard they all died recently in some big battle with Freeza?" Jaco said.

"Nope. They defeated-" Tights began to explain, but Vegeta cut her off.

"Defeated a big enemy, and we bought out our contract, so we're independent now," Vegeta said, "Got ourselves a new home in the middle of nowhere."

"So...You aren't destroying planets anymore?" Jaco asked.

"Not unless they annoy me," Vegeta said.

"Right, gotcha, crystal clear," Jaco nodded.

"Should have guessed your contact would be your Patrolman friend you mentioned," Meys said, "Had a lot of adventures?"

"More like she threatens me until I do what she tells me to," Jaco grumbled.

"Sounds about right. I've killed a few Patrolmen in my career, so, uh...Sorry, no hard feelings?"

Jaco just glared at him.

"...That's fair."

"Actually, this may end up benefiting the Patrol, too," Tights said, "Vegeta?"

"Cold Planet 255," Vegeta said. Jaco's eyes widened.

"Wait, really?"

Vegeta nodded, "They're holding a Saiyan there. We're going to break him out."

"If you help us, we can spring some of your guys, too," Yamcha said, "But we don't know anything about it. We were hoping you would."

"Cold Planet 255...That'll be a hard nut to crack…" Jaco said.

"What do you know?" Yamcha asked.

"Enough to tell you that it's a bad idea, and it's strictly forbidden by Galactic Patrol policy to approach that world and any world like it, or to encourage anyone else to," Jaco said, throwing his nose in the air and crossing his arms.

"And it's my policy to crush anyone that stands in my way, so you'd better weigh your rulebook against your scrawny little neck," Vegeta said, pounding his hand on the table. A crack wiggled through the table between Vegeta and Jaco.

"Right, so, ah, Cold Planet 255, um...Well, all right, so it used to be called Shillee. It's one of the few worlds where the inhabitants found a way to avoid Cold's wrath without paying him protection money. Shillee contributes fighters, and allows Cold to operate his prison there. See, Shillee has no oxygen atmosphere, and the Shilleen don't need it. So even if you escaped the prison, you'd be stuck on a planet with an atmosphere you couldn't breathe, running from a native population that's fiercely loyal to King Cold and Freeza," Jaco explained.

"So how do we get in?" Meys asked.

"You don't. It's one of the most militarized worlds in the galaxy, and the prison itself is built into its arctic continent. Just getting in, you're dealing with frozen winds, no oxygen, and anti-orbital cannons that can take on entire fleets. Believe me, we've tried," Jaco said.

"Wrong answer. Keep talking, breath mint, I'll tell you when you've said enough," Vegeta said.

"Uh, okay, well, uh...Each planet has a Freeza Force fleet and battle academy, pumping out entire platoons of Freeza Force soldiers every day. They have a network of subspace scanners which constantly authenticate the presence of every ship and even every object in the system. If they so much as think there's something out of place, they blow it up. Every day, prison guards are rotated out of sectors of the prison and put back on the front lines, and then soldiers from the front lines come there to replace them, meaning every single guard is a battle-hardened veteran. Their commander, Captain Wata, is a powerful warrior in his own right, said to have been Captain Ginyu's only true rival in the Freeza Force.

"On top of the prison guards, the entire facility, which, again, is a frozen continent, is augmented by both robotic guards and automated defenses like turrets, laser grids, and electrified walls. They pump so little oxygen into the facility that prisoners are kept in a state just shy of taking brain damage. Guards walk around wearing oxygen masks when they aren't in quarters. The walls of the cells are electrified, so if a prisoner gets too close, they're in for a world of hurt. Most cells are welded shut, so they don't even have doors; food pellets just drop in from above, with just enough nutrients and calories they need to survive one more day. Needless to say, nobody has ever escaped," Jaco said. Meys clapped his hands.

"Food's here!"

The waiter chucked the bowls and plates onto the table, letting the customers figured out who got what. Yamcha gawked at the bowl full of curled-up bugs the size of his thumb he received. With a disgusted look and hoping it was just his imagination when he saw it twitch, Yamcha ate one.

Butter. Tender, juicy meat. Grease galore. It was absolutely the worst food in the universe, and he could not stop eating them.

"Puar, you gotta try this," Yamcha stuffed one into Puar's mouth.

"Oh, wow, that's awful, give me another!"

"I know, right?"

Jaco watched the two Saiyans gobble down food with his jaw dropped, forgetting to even touch his own plate as he watched the slaughter of unhygienic bar food.

"You never really get used to it," Tights said to Jaco, munching on her sandwich and watching Meys eat, "But you do learn to deal with it."

"I'd heard their appetites were amazing, but wow…" Jaco muttered.

"So, I have a couple ideas," Yamcha said. He and Puar had eaten faster than the Saiyans. Yamcha drank a half a glass of the gasnaut.

"You have ideas on how to break into the most secure prison in the galaxy?" Jaco said flatly.

"Yup! Three, actually. One, we go in as guards. Two, we go in as prisoners. Three, we give them so many targets, they don't know what's real," Yamcha said.

"Let's go down the list, then," Tights said, "Go in as guards. Hit me."

"Well, Jaco, you said that they rotate a sector's guards once a week. Guards to the front lines, soldiers to the prison. We take the place of some of those guards, and bam, we're on the inside. We spend a little time learning the security and the patrols, and when we've figured out where Tarble is, we bust him out!" Yamcha said, punching his fist into his hand.

"I like that idea, but Vegeta and I are almost certainly known and wanted criminals within Freeza's Empire, and they're bound to check ID's," Meys said.

"It'll be tough but I think it could be done," Tights said, "What about the prisoners idea?"

"Well, like Meys said, you and Vegeta are almost certainly wanted. The three of us are turned in as prisoners with vital information, so they won't think of killing us. Then, we bust out of our cells from the inside using Kaio-Ken, wreak some havoc, and find Tarble while busting the place up," Yamcha said.

"I like that last part," Vegeta said.

"There are so many countermeasures that there's no guarantee you'd be able to use your Kaiowhatever. If it doesn't work, then you're literally making yourselves King Cold's prisoners for the rest of your lives," Jaco said.

"Still more straightforward than the Guard plan," Tights said, "Your third plan?"

"Confusion. You said they had super-sensitive sensors, right? Well, then we give them something to sense. We blast enough debris into the solar system all at the same time, they don't know what's going on, and they get all kinds of confused. While they're shooting at ghosts and rocks, our ship flies in and drops us off. We blast our way into the prison while wearing oxygen masks, and we find Tarble the old fashioned way," Yamcha said.

"That would take a lot of preparation and tech we might not have time to spare. It'd be a huge operation to set up ahead of time," Tights said.

"Well, that's all I thought of," Yamcha shrugged, "We've got time until we get there."

Meys slurped his dunne soup, and set down the bowl, letting out a stinky burp, "What if we did all three?"

Everyone looked at him, and Meys grinned.

"I'm serious. Yamcha, nobody knows who you are. Vegeta and I are wanted criminals. Tights is a genius. And, believe it or not, we do have friends. We could do all three plans," Meys said.

"Explain," Vegeta said, wrapping the stringy cheese of his popper around his finger, and then slurping it down.

"Lemo was promoted to Commander just before Freeza died, right? He comes in, with the previously unknown Bounty Hunter, Tai-Tan," Meys said, gesturing to Yamcha,

"Lemo, who knows security codes, tells command that he's recovered the Saiyan criminals, who know where Freeza's killer is, but won't talk. Tai-Tan says he wants a steady gig, and Lemo gives his endorsement, talks them into taking Tai-Tan as a guard. Vegeta and I spend some time in the cells, which will suck I'm sure, but once Lemo and Yamcha have the lay of the land, they find a way to bust us out. Once we're out of our cells, we find Tarble, crack skulls, blow the place up. That is when the New Saiyan Empire makes their move: They use every ship they can spare to fire debris into the solar system, giving us the chance to sneak out while their over-sensitive sensor grid is going nuts."

"This plan hinges on a lot of people I don't know and aren't here," Vegeta said.

"A good plan isn't about what you want to happen, but what you prepare to happen. We load up as many opportunities for ourselves as we can. Have as many assets as we can. If one thing goes wrong, something else moves in to fill the gap, get me? One way or another, we can't do this alone. But there's nobody else in the Galaxy who could pull this off. So, while we're getting our allies together, we get oxygen suits, upgrade our ship, bring in enemies of Freeza, anything we can use to our advantage," Meys said.

Vegeta crossed his arms, thinking. He grabbed the last of his poppers, and bit into it, a string of cheese reaching from his mouth to his hand.

"I'll talk to Shive. But we'll need credits to pull this off," Vegeta said, "And I know where to get some."

"Where's that?" Tights asked. Vegeta smirked.

"Being royalty has its perks."


	42. Saiyan Banking

_Loplop, border of Freeza's Empire  
January 4, A762_

"Welcome Back, Prince Vegeta," an attendant bowed to Vegeta as he stepped off the ship, alone, "It has been far too long since you have graced us."

"I am here to make a withdrawal," Vegeta announced, not looking at the attendant.

"Of course, Prince Vegeta. We are here to serve our customers' whims," the attendant said, leading him to a hover vehicle. The attendant opened the door for him, and scrambled inside. Within the vehicle, a literal feast was presented to Vegeta. With a disinterested look, Vegeta picked up a hunk of meat and began to eat it.

"We have been careful with your investments. Your fortunes are indeed great, Prince Vegeta. It is an honor to handle your finances," the attendant said.

"I have no interest in numbers or finances. I am interested in being served," Vegeta said.

"Of course, Prince Vegeta. Such is our pleasure," the attendant said, bowing to Vegeta, "May I boldly ask, what is your whim?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"If we were to know, Prince Vegeta, perhaps we could help?"

"I require hard assets at this time. I expect to be withdrawing a considerable amount."

"Would this have anything to do with the New Saiyan Empire, your Highness?"

Vegeta glared at the attendant, "I said I was not interested in discussing my matters."

"I understand, Prince Vegeta. But you must understand the bank's position and interest. There is a power out there capable of opposing King Cold. It has already destroyed the Emperor, and in Freeza's wake, a new Empire has been born. We can only assume that you are responsible, and are head of your new Empire, your Highness."

Vegeta scowled, "It is none of your concern."

"It is merely rare for you to personally attend to your finances, Prince Vegeta. Forgive my impertinence," the attendant bowed. Vegeta gave a dismissal grunt, and continued eating. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the main bank, which had been cleared of other customers. It was an ostentatious building, with long columns of fine marble separating sections. Everything else was either gold lined or gold plated. Precious and priceless artifacts lined the walls. Vegeta could tell which of the workers were the heads of the bank, as they were the ones dressed in the shiniest, most ridiculous outfits.

"Prince Vegeta, it is an honor to receive you. We are forever grateful to you and your family for its patronage. Allow me to be-" the head of the bank began. Vegeta held up his hand.

"I am interested in making a withdrawal, not in listening to your platitudes. I require fifteen billion credits," Vegeta said.

"Fif-fifteen billion? That is quite a sum, Prince Vegeta, are you sure?" the head of the bank said.

"Are we speaking the same language? Fifteen billion! Retrieve my credits immediately, or do I have to go to the vault and retrieve them myself?" Vegeta snarled. The bank head yelped, and began ordering around his subordinates to retrieve Vegeta's withdrawal.

"There is, of course, a matter of verification, a formality, you understand, Prince Vegeta," the bank head said, presenting a datapad, "Please, your hand."

Vegeta, with a slight huff, pressed his hand against it. The bank head grinned.

"Excellent, thank you, Prince Vegeta. Now if you could do us a favor, and deal with my little test," the bank head said, grinning.

"_What?_"

Above Vegeta, he could hear something whirring. A humanoid machine dropped from above, leaving a crack in the floor. It was covered in white armor, with no discernable 'face' on its head. It had the bank's logo painted on the front chestpiece. It stood about a story tall, and its fists were the size of Vegeta himself.

"You see, Prince Vegeta, it has been a long time since we've dealt with the Saiyans without King Cold or Lord Freeza. If it's true you destroyed Freeza, then we need to be sure the Galaxy is ripe for proper investment. This machine was intended to destroy Freeza if he ever chose to come for us. Go on! Show us the power of Saiyan Royalty!" the bank head declared.

Vegeta studied the machine, and grinned.

"I assume this machine was meant to destroy Freeza in the form everyone knows, then?" Vegeta said. The machine swung its fist at Vegeta, who jumped up onto its arm.

"Time to really test all this training, then!" Vegeta chuckled, running up the arm. A turret popped out of the bicep of the machine, firing lasers at Vegeta, who deftly dodged them. As he reached the shoulder, the arm reached up and tried to swat him off its shoulder. Vegeta dropped off the machine, pushing himself over to the other shoulder.

"Too simple," Vegeta chuckled, and he punched the head of the machine. Instead of breaking, there was a shimmer of green light, and Vegeta was sent into the wall on the other side of the bank.

"As I said, Prince Vegeta, this machine was meant to destroy Lord Freeza himself. It won't be that simple," the bank head said. Vegeta chuckled; now this machine was interesting. He launched himself off the wall, grabbing some rubble of the ground, and he pelted the machine with the rocks with all his might, causing the shield to shimmer. Vegeta followed up with a series of Ki blasts, testing the limits of the shield. Each one was absorbed, and the machine, with a sudden burst of power, swatted Vegeta into the ground.

The strike didn't even phase Vegeta, who lifted the machine's fist off of him without much effort.

"Impressive piece of tech you've managed to buy here, I must admit," Vegeta said. He grabbed the machine's hand with both arms, "I'm almost impressed."

Vegeta began to try and pull the hand in two. The other arm swung to grab him, but Vegeta jumped up, and the swing missed as he continued to try and pull the machine's hand in two. He felt the shield start to tingle his hands, and then actually begin to sting. With a loud _zap_, the shield shocked Vegeta, causing him to fall numb. The machine followed up by pounding vegeta with its fists again and again.

This time, it actually hurt.

"All right then," Vegeta said, grabbing both of the machine's hands this time, "Let's try something else."

He pulled the machine's hands together, causing the shield to shimmer and glow from the impact.

"Hmm, interesting," Vegeta muttered to himself. The machine began to fire arcs of energy at him, which he was able to keep ahead of.

"Sir, the machine is reading Vegeta's power level as it fights. It's only at eighty thousand! There's no way he defeated Freeza!" a bank attendant told his boss.

"I'm not so sure. I think Vegeta is holding back. Let's keep watching," the bank head insisted.

"I'll give you a show, then," Vegeta said, launching himself off the roof of the bank, which was starting to collapse from all the blasts the machine was making. Vegeta swerved, dodging the shots and allowing the chunks of roof to land on the machine. It didn't flinch when struck. It tried to swat at him again when Vegeta landed on its shoulder, turrets popping out of the arm and firing at him. He hopped off the machine when it swatted, and began to power up.

"Two hundred thousand?! Not even Captain Ginyu can reach that high!" the attendant gasped, watching the number climb.

"I'm not even beginning to use my power!" Vegeta declared, punching the machine. The shield continued to shimmer with each strike. It punched out of him with a burst of speed.

"So, it's absorbing the power of my blows to make itself faster. Let's see how much power it can take!" Vegeta said, giving it a flurry of punches, dodging its swings as he struck. The plates of armor themselves popped out to strike back at Vegeta, surprising him and putting him on the defensive. Cables reeled the piece of armor back in. Although it didn't have the movement of self-defense and finesse he'd been training against with Meys and Yamcha, it compensated with tricks like that to fill the same role.

"Hah! I have you!" Vegeta said as an armor piece popped out at him. He grabbed the cable, only to be shocked by the energy. Annoyed, Vegeta powered up, evidently past 400k from the shouts of the attendant, and began striking at different parts of the machine. Instead of striking with pieces of armor, the machine reeled in its arms, taking blows on its shield instead.

"So it does think of its well-being. Not enough, though!" Vegeta began pelting it with Ki, keeping the robot on the defensive. He kicked at its right fist, causing it to strike at the left fist, and, just as he expected, there was a brief gap in the shield covering as it 'shorted.' Vegeta took advantage of the weakness, and fired another Ki blast at the point of impact.

Instead of blasting the arm to bits, the armor glowed pink as the Ki seemed to 'melt' into the armor, and the machine began to hum. It struck out at Vegeta, knocking the wind out of him.

"Fine. You want power? I'll show you power," Vegeta growled, unleashing further pools. Desks and debris began to fly about, wrecking the bank and putting holes in the walls. Vegeta charged at the machine, firing Ki as he came at it, and lashed out with blows, striking its arms. The shield almost buckled, until the armor turned pink again, and the shield became localized to where Vegeta was striking at it.

"Seems like I've found your machine's limit!" Vegeta laughed, "Let's push it further!"

Vegeta pumped in more power into his strikes. The machine pulled one arm back and swung while pushing back against Vegeta. He caught the machine's arm, and ripped off a plate of armor, throwing it into the air and blasting it. The machine kept battering at Vegeta, losing more parts with every strike.

After losing its left arm, it 'dropped' most of the dead limb, and armor plates shifted to cover the 'injury'. They shifted again as turrets moved around its body, replacing its forearm with an array of the turrets. With its good arm holding Vegeta back, it began to fire at its opponent. Vegeta fired Ki at the arm, destroying the turrets and its arm. As it reeled, he took advantage of the twitching to get past the shield, and struck at the good arm's shoulder. The shield barely managed to relocate.

The arm swatted at Vegeta, who dodged, flew back, and slammed back into the robot's hand, forcing it back into its own shoulder. Its faceplate armor struck out, but Vegeta simply punched through it. With another hum, the last of the armor shocked at Vegeta, who reached out, conducted the energy into his hand, and fired it off into the sky.

"THIS IS THE POWER OF THE SAIYANS!" Vegeta declared, and began striking the machine in the face again and again. The robot, with less body to power, concentrated the shield on the face. Vegeta had planned for this, and began firing Ki into its collar, which the machine did not have enough power to protect. With a few blasts, the machine's head creaked, and peeled off, cables and wiring still thrashing about when it struck the floor.

The chest opened up, smoke and electricity emerging from the cavity, and another bank attendant crawled out of the chest, coughing and swiping at the smoke.

"Dammit!" the pilot coughed, "I didn't stand a chance!"

"No," Vegeta said, landing in front of the pilot, "You didn't."

"Well," the pilot held out his hand, "Good fight. I've got so many new ideas. Next time, Prince Vegeta, you won't be so lucky."

Vegeta considered for a moment, and then shook the pilot's hand. To Vegeta's surprise, he realized, once he held the pilot's hand, the alien had a tremendous amount of energy. It wasn't as much as Vegeta's, but the reserves were much more than what Vegeta was used to sensing.

"You're a lot more powerful than you give off," Vegeta said.

"Yeah. I'm the most powerful person on my planet. My name is Gewak. We can't emit power like you can, but we can transfer it. It's why we use machines, we can't produce fighters like yours, but we can power our own craft. I've been training my whole life to defeat Freeza. But you've surpassed him, that's for sure," the pilot said.

Vegeta shook his head, "No. I didn't."

"What? But you defeated our machine, you _must_ have killed Freeza!" the bank head said. Vegeta shook his head again.

"I know of almost a dozen warriors who could have defeated your machine. Yes, it's true, you could have defeated Freeza with what people _know _of Freeza's power, but he, and his father and brother, are capable of so much more power than what they show. Because the power they show is all they _need._ At only Freeza's _second_ form, he could have crushed your machine. I didn't even reach a _third_ of my power to destroy it, and I'm _still_ not as strong as Freeza was at his full power," Vegeta explained.

"Th-then how? How was Freeza defeated?" the bank head asked.

"Freeza was defeated by a Saiyan, it's true, but it wasn't me. And until I surpass that Saiyan, until I obtain the power of the Super Saiyan like he did, I will not be worthy of my throne," Vegeta said, "I will not be worthy until I have undone the damage we have done. For now, I require fifteen billion credits from my family's account."

"Is it towards that goal, Prince Vegeta?" Gewak asked.

"Hmm?"

"The fifteen billion. Are you using it towards that goal, of undoing the damage you've done?"

Vegeta nodded. Gewak turned to the bank head.

"Then giving him his money is the least we can do, sir. If there's a _chance_ the Saiyans can stop the Empire. Until it's done, though, Vegeta, I'm going to keep getting more powerful. We'll build a better machine, and you'll be the first we call to test it, hear me?" Gewak said. Vegeta smiled.

"I'm sure I'll be needing to make more withdrawals," Vegeta said.

"We'll get your money immediately, Prince Vegeta," the bank head said. He found the nearest attendant, and began barking orders.

XXX

Vegeta returned to the ship with a pair of bags and wearing a new set of clothes.

"What happened to you?" Tights asked.

"I think I've decided I like my banker," Vegeta said, tossing both bags onto the ground.

"I'm not cleaning that up," Tights said flatly.

"How much do we have?" Yamcha asked, opening one of the bags. He held up one of the credit tubes and shook it.

"Fifteen billion," Vegeta said.

"FIF-FIFTEEN BILLION?" Yamcha and Tights gasped together.

"It's a modest fortune, but it should be more than enough to pay for our operation," Vegeta said.

"A modest fortune he says," Tights scoffed.

"Wait, how much is a credit worth?" Yamcha asked.

"A credit is about twenty-five Zeni," Tights said, "Each of those tubes probably holds a hundred thousand Credits."

"Oh, wow…" Yamcha gulped, "Wait, _holds?_"

"Yeah, credits are about the size of a grain of sand. The tubes automatically calculate amounts and transfer credits. That's what that symbol right there means, it says a hundred fifty thousand," Tights showed.

"Oh, wow...All that money in one tube…" Yamcha said. Vegeta shrugged.

"It's just money. It doesn't matter. This, however," Vegeta opened the other bag, revealing suits of armor, "Is much more practical."

The armor was segmented as scales, rather than in rows like the Freeza Force suits, giving them a distinct look. Vegeta picked up one of the suits, and demonstrated its elasticity. It also didn't have the unwieldy pauldrons, so they could be worn under clothing.

"Shive will be interested in these. Complimentary gifts from the bank. One for each of us, plus a prototype for the New Saiyan Empire to duplicate it," Vegeta explained.

"That's very generous of them," Tights said.

Vegeta acknowledged with a grunt, and looked to Yamcha. He hesitated to say anything at first, but found the words, "Was training like this with the old man?"

"Hmm? With Roshi? I mean, kind of. We're not delivering milk or doing construction work, which is how he trained me, Krillin, and Goku. But I like to think he'd agree with what I've done so far," Yamcha said.

"It's made a difference," Vegeta said, flexing his arm, "The bank made me fight a robot intended to kill Freeza. I _toyed_ with it. I'm more powerful than I could have imagined possible," Vegeta said.

"But it's not enough, is it?" Yamcha asked, grinning. Vegeta shook his head.

"There's so much more to gain."

"You sound like Goku. I hate to say it, Vegeta, but we've kind of reached the limit of what we can do with the gravity chamber. We've already reached 100-times gravity," Yamcha said.

"You guys can talk gym, I'm setting course for Liberty," Tights said, giving them a wave. Meys entered the main hall; Tights grabbed him by the shirt to get a kiss from him as she walked to the cockpit.

"It doesn't mean we stop," Vegeta said.

"Of course not. But I'm not sure what we can do to push ourselves further, other than coming up with games to keep us active and entertained. But it won't be the training we're really looking for," Yamcha said, "Other than getting a stronger gravity chamber, there's only one thing I can think of to do, and I'm not exactly a good teacher for it."

"What's that?" Meys asked. Yamcha took a breath.

"Meditation.


	43. Final Preparation

_Liberty's Center, New Saiyan Empire  
January 7, A762_

"You're anxious, Turles. You should go on a mission and loosen up," Shive said. The hole in the command center wasn't fixed, but at least a tarp had been put over it, and it was no longer blowing wind directly in.

"I can't leave you, we're still vulnerable here. One attack, a lucky sniper, and you're done for," Turles said. Shive stopped looking at the datapad, and looked over to Turles.

"You're not my bodyguard, Turles, anything short of Cold himself, I'm capable of protecting myself," Shive said.

"Well, what if there's a naval attack. We're vulnerable here,the base shields aren't fully repaired! You'll need all the help you can get," Turles insisted. Shive set the datapad down.

"Turles? This is very unlike the man who escaped from prison, led a hijacking of the most powerful vessel in the universe, and then brought it to fight Freeza. You're walking grooves into the floor and building energy. You're going to drive yourself mad in the very place you were tortured. _You need to get back into the field._ You need to _fight_ something, clear your head," Shive insisted, "I'm getting restless, too, approving requests all day."

"I don't like the idea of leaving you alone," Turles said. Shive smiled.

"Then don't. There's plenty of operations for us to do. We can pick a second-in-command to make these decisions for the Empire, and show the universe why Saiyans left them in awe. We'll pick a planet, and we'll conquer it together, as a pair," Shive said, "You'll feel better getting away from this place and doing what you're good at."

Turles nodded, "I suppose you're right. Do you have one picked out?"

Shive grinned, "I've had my eye on one."

"Then let's do it. Can we take a shuttle instead of attack pods, though? I'd rather not be that uncomfortable," Turles said.

"We don't have enough attack pods to spare for planetary assault anyway. We'll take a shuttle, some support personnel. Trust me, it's much better having a dedicated cook than eating whatever alien you last killed," Shive assured him.

"Stewart Shive!" an underling knocked on the door. There was no chime for the underling to use, because there wasn't a door. They really needed to get this place fixed.

"Yes, Yeoman?"

"Forgive my intrusion, sir, but Vegeta has just arrived with companions."

"Very well, we'll go and receive them," Shive said, dismissing the underling, who scampered off. Shive moved the tarp aside, and saw the peculiar ship that had landed on the spacedock. He jumped out of the hole, with Turles just behind, and they landed before the ship. Meys, Vegeta, and two Earthlings had exited. Shive looked to Meys, unsure of what his long-time companion's reaction was going to be.

"SHIVE!" Meys shouted, grinning ear to ear. He wrapped his arms around the thinner Saiyan and squeezed him in a hug, "It's been _way_ too long!"

Meys put Shive down, not noticing the soldiers brandishing weapons at him for daring to touch the regent. Meys slapped Shive on the shoulder, "I knew I should have insisted you come with us to Earth with Brussa. Maybe then we'd have actually killed the Namekian, hah! Glad we didn't, he's a good friend now. And you! You must be Turles! I've heard a bit about you, c'mere!"

Before Turles could object, Meys re-adjusted the other Saiyan's back with a hug.

"Wow, Gine wasn't kidding when she said you looked like Bardock and Kakarot! _Wow_ that is _uncanny!_ It is _so_ good to meet you!" Meys said.

"You, too, uh, Meys. Shive's told me a bit about you, as well," Turles said.

"Well, whatever you need, I'm there, Turles. We're strongest together," Meys vowed. Turles smiled, and punched him on the arm.

"I'll hold you to that."

"And who are your Earthling friends?" Shive asked. Yamcha offered his hand.

"I'm Yamcha, warrior of Earth. I've been training Meys and Vegeta," Yamcha said. Shive shook his hand, though Turles was confused by the gesture.

"Good to meet you. And you?" Shive turned to the woman.

"I'm Tights Brief. I'm the brains of the operation," she said. Shive made an audible sigh of relief.

"Good, someone with a plan. Please tell me it's a good one," Shive said.

"We're going to break into Cold Planet 255."

Shive gave a less relieved sigh, "All right, let's hear it, then. Come inside, I hate the wind out here."

XXX

The only thing more baffling than two Saiyans eating is four; Tights and Yamcha were already used to it, but Shive made it a point to eat among the rest of the soldiers in the base's cafeteria. The slaughter that was their feast left all those who witnessed it baffled and wondering where they stored it all, especially since Turles and Shive ate like this every day.

After the meal, as there was no point talking to a Saiyan while they ate, Tights gave the briefing to Shive and Turles in the command center. Vegeta gave a demonstration of the new armor.

"This would take more time to manufacture, but that's perhaps to our advantage. We don't have the numbers of our enemies, so we don't need to build as many as quickly. It means fewer suits that take longer with the same amount of material but offer better protection. With how few fabricators we have, it's preferable to aim for quality over quantity. We'll begin developing these immediately. Thank you, Vegeta."

Vegeta nodded, "We also have a means of training that will push your warriors further and harder: Gravity chambers. It's done wonders for the three of us. Do we have the plans for them to share?"

Tights nodded, "I can send you something. They're expensive, though, and extremely dangerous if used improperly."

"You also need a certain kind of training to really use them to begin with. Without the right conditioning, it's just going to get people hurt," Yamcha pointed out.

"Any advantage we can use, we'll take," Shive said, "We have plenty of defectors, but few of them are quality warriors. Most of those are either still loyal to King Cold, or died in the Battle of Namek."

"They're all mercenaries anyway," Turles said with poison, "They won't be worth the food it would take to feed them. We want real warriors."

"When we bust this prison, hopefully, you'll get all the warriors you need," Yamcha said, "What do you think?"

Shive shook his head, "It's-"

"Completely insane," Turles interrupted, "You're risking your entire operation, and ours, with this kind of stunt, even if we can pull it off."

"But it's exactly the kind of victory we need. In a war of attrition, we lose with Cold, every time. Unless we can get Kakarot to take out King Cold, too, their empire is too much. Even if they fail to kill me and Turles, I will not be Regent of a single dead world," Shive said.

"If there wasn't a bounty on all Saiyans, I'd offer to take your place, Yamcha. I actually have a reputation they'd respect," Turles said. He cocked his head, thinking, "Though…"

"...What?" Yamcha said, unsettled by Turles's gaze.

"You're a little short…"

"Trust me, I'm not short."

"...And a little thin. But with some creative prosthetics and cybernetics…" Turles stroked his chin.

"What are you thinking, Turles?" Shive asked.

"One of my Crusher Corps was a cyborg named Cacao. He's a well-known, ruthless bounty hunter. Instead of creating a new identity for Yamcha here, we fake Cacao's return with a new cybernetic body. We stage a public battle between Cacao and myself, where he defeats me, showing the Freeza Force there is no good will between us. Then, Cacao resurfaces, having captured Meys and Vegeta with your friend Lemo. Cacao is a powerful warrior on his own right, more powerful than Nappa was before the Earth fiasco. It would only make sense that, with upgrades, he'd be even more powerful," Turles explained, "The Freeza Force is much more likely to buy that story than some random new face."

"I can make a suit that would fit the bill for that," Tight said, "Would take a while, and you'd basically be sealed inside until we're done. But it'd be fashionable and functional, as it were."

"I don't like the sound of that, but I think you're right," Yamcha admitted.

"With these credits, we'll be able to purchase enough materials to build the fleet we'd need to distract and extract you and anyone else you can bust out of that prison," Shive said.

"Sounds like we have a plan. There's only one piece we've got left to agree," Meys said.

XXX

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Come on, Lemo, we need you on this!" Meys pleaded.

"I've had enough of the Freeza Force and all this fighting! Fleur's egg just hatched. Gohan named it Icarus. It needs me! I'm trying to retire here, Meys!"

"Icarus? Who taught him _that_ word?"

"Evidently it means something else here. I wasn't going to tell him. Besides, your plan is completely insane. We'd just get ourselves killed."

"You know what else was insane? Blowing up Freeza's ship to smuggle out the Dragon Balls and fake your death. You're used to crazy, Lemo."

"Which is why I'm aiming for _retirement_ rather than getting myself _killed_ on some harebrained mission you Saiyans cooked up while bonking your heads together in the middle of space!"

"You mean us Saiyans who are scarce in number, on the brink of extinction, and in _desperate_ need of your help? The same Saiyans who have a lost member _trapped_ in that prison?"

Lemo grunted, "You didn't mention _who_ you were busting out. I thought it was for that foolish rebellion of yours!"

"Yep. Vegeta's little brother. You know, he's only a little older than Kakarot, Gohan's father. He's a sweet young man, from what I understand. Doesn't really have the heart of a conqueror, always just liked making friends. A little stubborn, liked finding out how to solve problems his way, you know the type. He'd really like it on Earth, you know? Real peaceful, friendly people," Meys said. Lemo grinded his teeth.

"All right _fine _but after this _no more favors! _I'm _done_ with Saiyans, _done_ with the Freeza Force, and _done with you!_" Lemo snapped.

"All right. We won't need you for a couple weeks anyway, so take the ship with the modified gravity chamber we asked Dr. Briefs to make, okay?" Meys said, waving.

"Hmph! Fine! Piccolo, here, your turn to talk to the lugs!" Lemo said, shoving the camera over to Piccolo. Meys gave way to Yamcha.

"Yeah, what is it? I'm in the middle of training, so this had better be good."

"Hey, Piccolo! We, uh, we've kind of hit the limits of what we can do with the gravity chamber here, so we tried to switch to meditation, but it hasn't been going very well, especially with Vegeta. Do you have any pointers?" Yamcha asked. Piccolo grunted.

"This is why you all should have followed _my_ training regimen instead of splitting it up when we were preparing for the Saiyans!"

"Well, we have time now. C'mon, it's for a good cause, we're busting out a bunch of innocent people out of prison! Freeza and his father kept all kinds of innocent people trapped!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't help, just that you should know all this already!" Piccolo snapped.

"Sounds like _someone's_ skipped meditation today," Yamcha teased.

"Yes, because _you insisted on calling me!_ Now _pay attention!_"

XXX

_Liberty's Center, New Saiyan Empire  
January 24, A763_

Weeks of preparation and design had gone into the plan at this point. Shive and Turles had been caught up on 100x Gravity training, and all five of the warriors were getting used to meditation. Saiyans were not particularly skilled at sitting still and clearing their mind for extended periods of time; they were prone to either getting restless and wandering off, or straight up falling asleep. Still, there was a lot to be said about their determination to get stronger.

Shive and Turles were clearly grateful to have physical activity. Shive had been restless in a command role, and Turles had been building anxiety since the Battle of Namek. Training was an odd concept to Saiyans, as they relied on standard drills and fighting to activate Zenkai boosts. The idea that a warrior could push themselves to greater power and greater heights was a notion that had been disregarded by King Cold, and actively suppressed by the upper classes of the old Saiyan caste system.

Yet even Yamcha, who wasn't even a Saiyan, was comparable to Vegeta in power. When Yamcha wasn't training or meditating, he was introducing baseball to the New Saiyan Empire, which had quickly been adopted as a means of team-building, strategy and, yes, even training. He and Puar were constantly introducing new ideas to the base to improve morale. Puar in particular was beloved by all, and the shapeshifting cat was never one to turn down getting pets.

With an outlet for his energy, Shive became an even more active commander, using what he'd learned from the others to further the power of what passed for elites. He had a genuine joy for leadership and strategy, even if the finer points frustrated him. He recognized the value of non-combatant leaders, though, and was not beneath shoving a task he wasn't interest in on someone else.

Vegeta wouldn't say it, but he was grateful to be around Saiyans. He maintained his haughtiness, but despite his bad attitude, he was rarely alone. Meditation was most difficult for him, as he kept being disrupted by intrusive thoughts he couldn't shake, and he grew frustrated with the limitations of their current gravity chamber to push him further. The delays and preparation also compounded his frustration as he continued to worry about his brother.

Turles was the one who benefitted the most from the training and the arrival of more Saiyans. As he'd always been directed by the Freeza Force before, he had limited experience with other Saiyans. Being around more than just Shive allowed for his real personality to shine. He had always worked in a team, but there was something different about training and working with other Saiyans which brought the most in him. He was honest with himself and others above all else, and always ready to jump back in so long as he had company.

Meys was always affable. No matter what, he always seemed to be able to make time for everyone else, unless it conflicted with whatever Tights wanted. He had quickly fallen into a role as a teacher for the Empire's troops, teaching what he'd learned to sharpen their minds and bodies. He gained their respect by never asking them to do anything he wouldn't do, usually by doing it first to illustrate.

Despite anxiety when she realized she was being trusted with sensitive tasks and information, Tights became an unofficial second-in-command to Shive. She had a pulse on everything that was going on, and a decent understanding of everything that needed to be known. In particular, she excelled in writing broadcast and propaganda to garner support in the war effort, especially since King Cold himself had yet to make an appearance on the battlefield.

When Lemo finally arrived near the end of the month with the modified ship, the Saiyans were excited to use the gravity chamber. Lemo, however, had thoughts on its use.

"I hate to say it, but if the plan is for Yamcha as Cacao to defeat Turles, then there should be an _actual_ power disparity when you have your 'match.' There can't be _any_ suspicion that there could be any sort of foul play. Same goes for Meys and Vegeta. I know you can hide your power levels, but we have to consider the risks of our operation being blown open because someone keen catches one of you holding back," Lemo explained.

This did _not_ go over well.

Vegeta and Turles both threatened to kill Lemo for even suggesting it. Shive declared that, as the regent of the Empire, it was his duty to be the strongest in the galaxy. Meys just begged. Tights found a way to resolve the argument in a way nobody liked.

"Listen, these chambers are important for more than just the five of you. I'm not saying it's not important for you all to get stronger to defeat Cold. But they're also important to train your elites, too. We're _basically_ ready to move forward with the plan. We don't have _time_ for the extra gravity training. We should leave it to the engineers for now, and move forward. We've already delayed so much already," Tights said.

"The _moment_ we've escaped," Vegeta said.

"The _moment,_" Tights agreed, "Let's go save your brother. Turles? Hope you're ready to get your ass kicked."


	44. Feign Entry

_Cold Planet 93  
January 30, A763_

"Unidentified warrior, identify yourself!" a Freeza Force officer ordered.

"Stay out of my way. Turles is mine, fool," Yamcha replied. His suit distorted his voice; near as anyone could tell, he was entirely encased in the suit, which was preferable to the uncomfortable and ridiculous prosthetics they'd proposed early.

Yamcha ignored everyone firing at him; his speed and defense was too much for most of them anyway. He kept his eyes directly on Turles. As a part to make everything look as realistic as possible, Turles hadn't been told when 'Cacao' would appear and attack him.

The New Saiyan Empire army forces were unable to track him right until he slammed into Turles, sending him straight through the building that was behind him. The city had been abandoned by civilians, so Yamcha didn't have to worry about hurting anyone.

"You left me to die!" Yamcha declared.

"Cacao? You're alive?!" Turles gasped. Yamcha aimed his hand at him.

"If you could call it that."

He fired a series of Ki blasts at Turles. Normally this kind of attack was pointless, but Yamcha had been focusing on his aim, and managed to lay down several hits on Turles. The Saiyan launched himself at Yamcha, and they went back through the building, which started to crumble after the second impact. The pair of them began to exchange blows in midair.

A Freeza Force artillery piece fired, forcing Yamcha to blow it out of the sky. Turles landed a blow on Yamcha, denting the armor, to which Yamcha replied by punching Turles hard enough to crack his armor.

"_Fools!_ This Saiyan is _my_ kill! Interfere again, and I'll destroy your army!" Yamcha broadcast to the Freeza Force. Thankfully for the Saiyan army, Shive was there to lead the battle, and was conveniently away from the duel, and unable to assist Turles.

"If I had known you survived I'd have come and gotten you!"

"Your weakness is what led to my defeat! I suffered because of _you_! The Ginyu Force weren't there for us!" Yamcha punched Turles into the ground. He hovered over him. He began to fire blasts at Turles.

"They came for _you_. And because you were so pathetic! The other fools were pathetic! But _I_ was strong! _I_ survived where _you_ failed, and now I! Will! Have! My! Revenge!" Yamcha screamed as he fired into Turles. He rose into the air, and charged an attack.

"NEBULA WAVE!" he shouted, firing a shimmering ribbon of energy into Turles, which exploded on impact. When the dust cleared, Turles was not moving, presumably having taken the paralytic for this purpose. His own scanners declared that his energy had plummeted to zero.

"Hmph. Dead fool!" Yamcha declared. Medics arrived, and declared Turles dead, and moved him off the battlefield. Satisfied, Yamcha flew off back across the Freeza Force lines, ignoring their hails, and returned to his ship.

Despite the demoralization of 'losing' Turles, the New Saiyan Army still managed to win the battle with Shive's power and leadership. Turles was shuffled off to a secret location, where he would train in private until his survival was to be revealed. Days later, they would abandon this world, along with a few more, giving the illusion that the New Saiyan Army had been dealt a massive blow by Turles's 'death', and that they were now on the retreat.

Weeks later, the Saiyan Elite would be revealed, having been training in the lesser gravity chambers and undergone training by the Saiyans and Yamcha previously. This revelation allowed the New Saiyan Empire to expand again and retake lost ground, which had largely been worlds they were having difficulties holding anyway. Morale in the Empire's army plummeted, but the liberated worlds that relied on them for defense remained loyal, and the Empire stood.

Shive himself led a vigil, adding Turles's name to the Wall of Martyrs. Little did everyone know, the engraving that added Turles was meant to be removed later.

XXX

_Outside system of Cold Planet 255  
February 3, A763_

"All right, now or never," Lemo said, "They'd identified us, and we've got to give the right hails. I hope they don't shoot us just for having old codes…"

Lemo tapped into the console, sending out his Officer codes that he'd had for all of two hours before he'd set Freeza's vessel to self-destruct. Yamcha couldn't sweat due to the temperature control of his suit, but he sure felt nervous enough to. The wait seemed to stretch on for hours, but it was only a few moments.

"This is system control to Shuttle One-Three-Three-Seven. Identify yourselves and state your business," a voice declared.

"This is Commander Lemo of the Freeza Force-err, I mean, the Cold Force, accompanied by the Bounty Hunter Cacao. We have captured high-value criminals, and are looking to hand them over to Captain Wata for imprisonment," Lemo replied.

There was another wait.

"Enter the system and follow this flight path. Deviation will be considered hostility and you will be destroyed. Captain Wata will meet you at the prison," system control said. Lemo instructed his vessel to follow the flight path, and let out another sigh of relief.

"So far so good," Lemo said. Yamcha wanted to reassure him, and tell him everything was okay. Under the circumstances, however, he had to remain in-character, in case there was some kind of monitoring of their vessel already.

"For your sake, it had better stay that way. I'm going to check on our prisoners," Yamcha said, and he left the bridge, mostly to get himself moving. The suit was comfortable and had been meticulously designed for him to wear for months, even years if he needed to. He still felt like he was sealed in a coffin. Yamcha looked at the readings of the cryo pods Meys and Vegeta were kept in. To maintain the illusions, the two of them had actually been beaten to the brink of death before being stuffed into the pods to keep them alive and easy to deliver.

The readings gave Yamcha a pang of guilt for having helped deliver those beatings. Sure, they'd come out stronger for them, and it had largely been a fight between Meys and Vegeta, but the memory of it sickened him, kicking and blasting them while they were exhausted, on the ground.

"Cacao, we're on final approach," Lemo said. Yamcha left the pods, and headed to the shuttle's ramp. Lemo joined him, put on an oxygen mask, and the ramp lowered. About twenty Freeza Force soldiers, each registering no less than 10,000 on Yamcha's built-in scouters, were waiting for them. One of them registered at 110,000. He was a purple alien with wide, gill-like frills sticking out of the side of its head as wide as its shoulders, thick lips, a hole for a nose, a heavy brow, and stood with a slump. All of them wore oxygen masks.

"Welcome to the Ice Box, gentlemen. I understand you have some prisoners for us?" the powerful alien asked.

"Yes, we captured-" Lemo began.

"Who are we talking to? I don't deal with mooks, we speak with the warden," Yamcha said.

"I am Captain Wata, I _am_ the warden. I'm well within my authority to negotiate with you," the alien said. Yamcha crossed his arms and nodded.

"We captured two Saiyans. Well, Cacao did most of the work, but I played my part. We tracked them to a remote system and laid an ambush for them," Lemo said.

"Oh? Commander Lemo, there isn't much information about you, except that you specialized in training beasts, and it seems Lord Freeza's last known order was to grant you an officer's rank from Enlisted. And then _your_ only known order _as_ an officer was to self-destruct Lord Freeza's ship. Why should I believe anything you say, especially when every _other_ soldier on Namek was killed by the locals?" Wata asked.

"Don't talk to me like you know what happened on Namek. Freeza himself couldn't handle that hell. I'm lucky to be alive, and _you're_ lucky I was looking to repent by capturing some of the Saiyans. We've got Vegeta and Meys on our ship, and we're looking to get paid for our good work. But if you're not interested, we can just kill them in their pods and sell our services elsewhere," Lemo said. Wata chuckled.

"I suppose you're right. I wasn't there. And if the Ginyu Force and Lord Freeza couldn't survive what you managed, I suppose I'm not one to argue with results, especially results like these," Wata said, "The bounty for Vegeta is five billion credits, and the bounty for the other Saiyans is two billion."

The Captain gestured, and they all waited on the spacedock until a soldier came out with a cart with boxes on them. Lemo and Yamcha inspected them, and verified the amount.

"You've got a deal," Lemo said.

"Excellent. I'll be sure to remove you from the KIA lists and into retirement. With prizes like these and money like that, you've more than earned it," Captain Wata said.

"No," Yamcha said.

"No, what?"

"I captured two Saiyans, but I _killed_ a third. I killed Turles on Cold Planet 93. That's another two billion. Plus, you'll need to hire me onto your prison staff if you want any chance of holding these two," Yamcha said. Captain Wata considered.

"You have the qualifications, and it is true we recorded you killing him during that battle. You'll get your extra pay, but I'm not sure what you mean by _needing_ you," Wata said.

"I'm one of the most powerful warriors in the galaxy. More powerful than you, that's for sure. The only ones that surpass me are _maybe_ the Regent, King Cold, two Namekians, and the Saiyan that killed Freeza. If anything happens, and these Saiyans get out of containment, I'm the _only_ person capable of putting them back, or putting them down. You'll pay me fifty million credits per month until King Cold decides to come and execute them himself," Yamcha said. Lemo crossed his arms.

"Plus, I'm not ready to retire until this damn war is finished. You'll need a vet like me on your team, even if I'm not a warrior. I'm good at organizing people, you'd be a fool not to take advantage of my experience," Lemo said, "I know you use this place as a training ground as much as a prison. There are things I know that can keep someone alive better than any suit of armor or blaster. Fortunately for you, _my_ rates are a lot more reasonable. Besides, the trap we laid for the Saiyans was _my_ idea."

Wata smiled, and nodded, "Welcome to the team, then, gentlemen."


	45. The Ice Box

Given their high status and role, Yamcha and Lemo were permitted a great deal of liberty quickly. Yamcha, as Cacao, was treated with fear and respect, having been the warrior to 'defeat' three powerful Saiyans. As such, Yamcha spent a lot of time meditating by the storage cells with the two Saiyans, keeping guard at the same time. This allowed him to keep his power up, even though he wasn't really able to train and keep moving. Given the aloof nature of the Cacao character, Lemo was more or less Yamcha's only means of social interaction. When Yamcha wasn't guarding the Saiyans, he was with Lemo, often acting as a bodyguard. On more than one occasion, he had to toss around a soldier or two as a means of reinforcing Lemo's authority.

Captain Wata was, to Lemo's surprise, someone who was actually good at his job. Most officers, particularly powerful officers, were conceited ragers who were more concerned with their position than their job. Captain Wata, however, brokered no fools and knew how to run a tight operation. He knew how to recognize talent, and would regularly modify existing units to create better cohesion in different units. It was very clear over the next few months that Captain Wata's contributions to the Freeza Force went far beyond simply running the prison and being powerful.

Lemo was frustrated when he found himself actually liking Wata. He was polite but not artificially so. He actually listened to the thoughts and opinions of his underlings. He was even capable of telling a funny joke. For most of the prison guards, he earned their genuine respect, and taught officers how to actually lead instead of just be the most powerful warrior in their platoon. For those who refused to listen, he had the power to put them in their place so they would at least comply. The ones who chose to learn from Wata would do well. The ones who didn't were sent off to get themselves killed so they would stop being liabilities.

Lemo swore that, if he'd actually cared about the Freeza Force, Wata would be the one officer he'd want to spend his career with.

The two quickly grew close, and Wata trusted Lemo to handle sensitive problems. One of them was the very Saiyans that Lemo had brought in: They were too powerful for Wata to handle, and normal security measures wouldn't be enough. This was balanced against the need to be able to resuscitate the Saiyans quickly if King Cold decided he wanted to interrogate them on short notice.

Meys had given Yamcha his knife, and it was the blade's properties that ended up being the solution. The knife could conduct Ki, allowing the user to channel power through the weapon. With similar materials, they could constantly drain power out of the Saiyans, keeping them constantly weak. They had cells made out of the same rare material as the knife. Ironically, Yamcha's suit was also made of the same stuff. The artificial gravity was turned as high as the base could manage: Almost fifty Gs. Between the Ki-draining material, low oxygen, high gravity, little food, and cold temperatures, the Saiyans would stand little chance of escape.

Lemo managed to learn more about the inhabitants of the prison. There were many traitors kept here that were receiving lifelong tortures for their transgressions. Dozens of members of the Galactic Patrol were kept at the prison, and were often used as bargaining chips to keep them from interfering. Lemo wasn't surprised to realize just how much control the Freeza Force had over the Galactic Patrol's activities. It was little wonder they were considered an ineffectual organization; they could barely purchase a ship without getting the authorization of the Freeza Force, or risk having their members be executed.

There were also thousands of political prisoners, some of which were prisoners of planets that no longer existed, or the cultures that ruled them were now extinct. Yamcha's bluff to Piccolo about there being Namekian prisoners turned out to be true, as well; they had no less than a dozen Namekians in the lower, 'forgotten' parts of the prison.

Finding Tarble was one of the easier endeavors for Lemo. As part of the plan to contain the Saiyans, Lemo convinced Wata that they might be able to use Tarble as a hostage against Vegeta, and so Tarble's location was offered to him, and the security for the poor Saiyan was increased as a result. The only communication they were able to give Tarble was when Yamcha surreptitiously tapped a few notes on his cell wall that Tarble might vaguely recognize as a Saiyan victory song.

The hard part was getting a message out to the New Saiyan Empire when they were going to spring him. There was the option of bribing someone to deliver the message, but that was too easily intercepted. Sending a message was sure to get monitored. The solution, however, was a lot more simple than their other issues: Lemo delivered it.

When a prisoner pickup was arranged, Lemo volunteered to fly for it, wanting to stretch his legs in the field and claiming to feel cramped in the prison. Captain Wata, who trusted Lemo, allowed him to go, understanding that cabin fever on a posting like this was completely normal. This left Yamcha alone for nearly two weeks, of course, but they had little choice.

XXX

_Planet Paie  
April 2, A763_

This espionage was nerve-racking. Lemo had learned that, despite the culture of paranoia and competition that was fostered within the Freeza Force, people didn't question your motives or intent. Largely, people didn't care. Most people were like Lemo, just trying to survive the next day and get paid.

Planet Paie had been unconquered, its people too primitive to be of any interest to anyone. When the war began, however, it became an important strategic location for both sides, so now the poor Paiens were caught in the middle of an interstellar war between two of the most powerful military forces in the galaxy. Lemo pitied the poor bastards.

Lemo didn't want to use the Freeza Force equipment to make contact, mostly because it couldn't be trusted to get through and not be tracked. Lemo had to be sure he wasn't spotted going through the captured Saiyan Empire equipment; thankfully there was a well-timed assault that took the attention from the base, allowing the non-combat Lemo to sort through the captured junk and find an interstellar communicator.

"Bingo," Lemo muttered when he found one. It wouldn't reach Liberty's Center, but it could reach Earth, and that was a better bet for him anyway. If the signal was tracked headed to Liberty's Center, it would be suspicious. If it was tracked to Earth, it would be confusing.

"Come on, Bulma, pick up," Lemo muttered to himself as he got the thing to work.

"Hello? Briefs residence?" Panchy answered. Lemo tried not to sigh.

"Hi, Panchy! It's Lemo, you remember me? I'm one of Bulma's friends from space," Lemo said.

"Oh, Hi Lemo! It's good to hear from you! How's space treating you, I know it's been a while!"

"Pretty stressful, actually. Could I speak with-"

"Oh then you should try having a bath with some essential oils. I've got this bath bomb that's got all the good stuff in it, I'll send you some!" Panchy said.

"That sounds great, Panchy, but I'm in space. No postage out here," Lemo said.

"Nonsense, I'll get my Briefy to send it to you. You should get out more, Lemo, and relax, you're already covered in wrinkles, and you're a different shade of orange!" Panchy said.

"I appreciate the offer-"

"Great, I'll tell him to-"

"I _really_ need to speak with Bulma right now, Panchy, please," Lemo said.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, here I am gabbing up the phone! Bulma! Lemo's on your space phone thing! Bulma? Bulma! Yeah! Space phone for you! It's your orange friend! No, not Goku, the other orange one! What? No! Yeah! No, he's asking for you! Hold on a sec, Lemo. Bulma!"

Lemo rubbed his face as Panchy left the screen. A few moments later, she returned.

"Just a sec, hon."

"Thanks, Panchy."

The screen went black, and the connection ended. Lemo let out a groan, and sent the pulse again to re-establish the connection. A moment later, Bulma appeared.

"I'm sorry about that," she said.

"It's fine, I don't have a lot of time, Bulma. I need you to contact Shive, it's essential."

"All right, what's the message?"

"Tangerine Four-Four-Two-One. April Seventh. Status essential," Lemo said. Bulma wrote it down.

"Wait, what does this mean?" Bulma asked.

"Can't explain, I've already spent too much time. It's ESSENTIAL Shive gets that message _immediately. _He'll understand when he gets it, and I'll explain later."

"On it."

"Thanks, Bulma."

He ended the communication, and then opened the access panel. He pulled out his blaster, ready to shoot it, but reconsidered; using his own blaster might raise questions as to why he'd opened fire while in the main base. Instead, he reached in, pulled out some important-looking chips and wires, and broke them before throwing them back into the machine and reclosing it. Hopefully it would end up being thrown away as denial sabotage by the Saiyan army.

Lemo returned to his post, his absence not even noticed, much less questioned. He'd given himself and Yamcha a day of wiggle room in case the fighting prevented departure. He didn't end up needing it, as they left the next morning.

It was do or die; they were busting Turles out in less than a week.


	46. Cooler Burn

_Cold Planet 255  
April 2, A763_

Yamcha, grateful to be out of the armor, threw the suit down the hall, making it seem like Cacao was flying through the prison. He then aimed ahead and beneath the armor, causing an explosion. Yamcha had left the twisted, burned Cacao armor at the center of the blast to make it clear that it was the only thing left of the Bounty Hunter was his armor.

All part of the illusion.

The prison guards that saw Cacao 'explode' were left speechless, and literally ran away screaming, which was enough for Yamcha.

Touching the walls of the Saiyans' cells was dangerous; they could easily drain his energy in a matter of moments if he tried. Thankfully, he'd been taught enough about the Ki-absorbing material to know that the energy had to actually go somewhere, and he'd been present when the cells were constructed.

Yamcha aimed, and thanked Tien, "Dodon Ray!"

A yellow beam shot from his finger, and fired, striking and destroying the power cable that converted Vegeta and Meys's Ki into power for the base to consume. Then, Yamcha stood back.

After a few moments, Vegeta's cell began to heat up and then exploded, as the energy it was collecting from the Saiyan was more than the material of the walls could contain; instead of diverting Vegeta's power, it built up until every panel became a volatile bomb. A moment later, Meys's cell exploded open. Both Saiyans stepped out of their cells, looking haggard and drained. Yamcha handed each of them a Senzu Bean, and he sensed their energy soar back to what it had been.

"Saved by your Earth Magic. Hmph. Almost feels cheap," Vegeta said.

"Whatever, I'm just happy to be out of that damn cell," Meys grumbled. Yamcha handed them oxygen masks so they could breathe.

"Tarble is this way," Yamcha gestured, and they flew deeper into the prison. A door shut in their way, but it was a simple matter for them to blast through it. The guards set up a firing line around the corner, but it wasn't even enough to bother; the three warriors literally flew past them. Vegeta, however, gave them a sneer and fired a Ki blast as they turned another corner, obliterating the whole squad of them.

Yamcha had known those men; he couldn't socialize with them because of his cover, but he'd overheard their conversations. Most of them didn't deserve such a callous fate. Perhaps he was naive to think they could have been spared.

The turrets, guards, and even the high-powered warriors were of no use in stopping their rampage through the prison. Yamcha wanted to release all the prisoners, but the low atmosphere would be a death sentence for anyone but someone with their resources to pull off this prison break. Now that they knew how the prison operated, perhaps repeat escapes could be done.

They might as well have been flying in the open air after a while; the prison may have been built into the continent, but it was built as a grid, and none of the defenses in the prison would be enough to stop them. Not even if Wata himself showed up to stand in their way, and he probably would, at least on the way out.

After several minutes of flying, which was the distance between East and South City, Yamcha started counting the cells.

"Here!" Yamcha stopped. A group of prison guards had already opened Tarble's cell, and they were pulling the Saiyan out with a mancatcher. Yamcha eyed it, and saw how Tarble was weakly falling to the ground. The Saiyan looked like a shorter, more boyish Vegeta. His hairline was lower and didn't come to a point the same way. He was dressed in a navy blue bodyglove, which had been stained from months of wear.

"V-Vegeta?" Tarble said, his eyes not quite focusing correctly. He took a deep gulp of air as he breathed.

"Don't come any closer, or we'll kill him!" one of the guards said, pressing a blaster to Tarble's forehead.

"I've got this one," Meys muttered; he stared intently at the blaster, and his eyes glowed yellow. With a flash of light, Meys fired a pair of Ki beams through the blaster, which went through the soldier behind it, too.

Vegeta took the opportunity to fly straight at them, grabbing the closest by the head and slamming them against their companion. It took Vegeta a moment, but he coldly and efficiently slaughtered the entire squad. Vegeta reached down, picked up one of the guards' oxygen masks, and pressed it to Tarble's face. Tarble grabbed it, and strapped it to his face. Yamcha handed him a Senzu bean.

"Eat this, you'll regain your strength," Yamcha said. Tarble obeyed, and he went from barely able to stand to floating.

"Vegeta, you came for me! Why?" Tarble said, "I thought I was too weak for you to care?"

"Things change," Vegeta said, "But we don't have time to explain. We're leaving."

"Hi, I'm Meys. This is Yamcha. Hold my hand so you can keep up," Meys grabbed Tarble's hand, and hoisted him up onto his back, "Hold tight, okay? We're not going to bother fighting anything on our way out. Least, that was the plan, right, Yamcha?"

"Uh huh. Come on, this way," Yamcha took off, leading them through the blocks upon blocks of cells. He knew that the prison was capable of holding billions, but most of the prison was iced over while it wasn't in use, and sensors were sensitive enough to tell when so much as an ice worm was burrowing nearby.

They flew until they hit one of these frozen prison blocks, and then followed that wall until it ended, and turned again. Yamcha was in the front, followed by Meys, and then Vegeta. They fell into a rhythm, of Yamcha navigating and Vegeta firing at anything that might look like it could cause even the slightest of sway or delay.

Just as a massive firing line of soldiers was lining up to stand in their way, Yamcha took a surprise turn up, and into the maintenance shafts.

"We're on foot from here," Yamcha said.

"Where's your tail, Yamcha?" Tarble asked.

"Huh? Tail?"

"Was it cut off in combat?" Tarble asked.

"No questions! Keep moving!" Vegeta ordered. The maintenance shaft was uncomfortable to move in, but the four of them still managed to keep a swift pace, even when it became chest-thick, forcing them to walk sideways through the shafts.

"Something's wrong," Yamcha said as they came to a junction, "Lemo was supposed to meet us here."

"Then we leave him behind," Vegeta said.

"Lemo's the only one with the access to take one of the ships! We're not leaving this planet without him," Yamcha said.

"Yeah, and _we_ asked him to be here," Meys said, "That's not fair to the man who's been risking his life for _you and your brother._"

Tarble looked to Vegeta, "If we _can_ save him, we _should_."

Vegeta grumbled, "Where might he be?"

"Hold on," Yamcha said, approaching a computer screen that had flicked on. He scrolled, and pressed a button on it, "Lemo said if anything went wrong to read a message left in an unused email. I'm going to try and access it."

"So, I guess we have time for a couple questions, Tarble," Meys said.

"Who? What? Where? Huh?"

"I'm Meys. I was on Vegeta's team, offworld, when our homeworld was destroyed."

"Yeah, the meteor…"

"No, it was destroyed by Freeza. Then Kakarot, a different Saiyan survivor on planet Earth, killed Freeza a couple months ago. This is Yamcha, he's a human, also from Earth."

"Okay!" Yamcha said, "Lemo says that there are Attack Pods on Spacedock C we can use. They're slow, but they'll be small enough that the distraction will cover our retreat. Spacedock C is...This way!"

Yamcha led them through more tunnels, before dropping back into the main halls. Meys picked up Tarble on his back, and they began flying their way through the prison blocks. They could feel the air being drained out of the halls; thousands of prisoners would probably suffocate in the vain attempt to kill the escapees.

Yamcha tried not to think about it too much as they turned and arrived at a set of doors. This was where many prisoners were brought into the prison. It was also a major gate into the guard quarters. Yamcha raised his hand, and blasted it open. To his surprise, it took more than one shot, while Meys and Vegeta kept blasting at turrets which kept popping out of the walls. Why they didn't all pop out all at the same time, Yamcha didn't understand.

Once he'd blasted open the door, there were another three sets of doors, but these weren't nearly as tough or defended; they ripped through them, and they found themselves on Spacedock C.

That was when they realized why Lemo hadn't been able to join them.

A large, Capital-class starship nearly identical to Freeza's was parked on the same spacedock. Lemo was there, trying not to run away from the two figures he was standing next to. One of them was the Warden, Captain Wata, who was benign held up by the neck.

Holding Wata by the throat was a figure sitting in a hoverchair. Its red tail was wrapped around the lip of the chair like a cushion. It had two horns that were pointed up at an angle. It had purple skin except for the white shell on its head, which was broken up by an almost gemlike blue protrusion that ran from its forehead to the back of the head. Beneath its eyes were red streaks that ran down to its neck.

The creature turned to the four escapees, and smiled.

"Ah. I see our rebels have arrived. What poor timing on your part, monkeys, to have planned your little escape the day I chose to have a surprise inspection. Warden Wata, I'm going to be generous, and give you the chance to fix this," the creature said, dropping him.

"B-but Lord Cooler, their power levels are incredible! We had one guard capable of handling them, and he's already been killed!" Captain Wata pleaded.

"I said I was giving you a chance," Cooler's tail twitched, "I didn't say it was a good one."

Wata stood, facing Yamcha and the three Saiyans. He pulled his Scouter off his face and threw it on the ground. The Warden of the Icebox began to power up, and charged at them.

A bombardment of Ki ended Wata's charge, as he hit the ground, smoking from the attacks.

"L-Lord Cooler, if I may, I'll try and find some...Some weapon we could use," Lemo said.

"No need, Commander," Cooler said, holding up his hand to Lemo, "If these indeed are the Saiyans that killed my brother, or were at least involved, this is a family matter."

Cooler floated out of his chair, and landed.

"Dore? My armor, if you would," Cooler said. A tall, green alien helped Cooler out of his blue armor chestpiece. Cooler, now clear of his armor, began to power up, growing bulkier and taller as did, until he was nearly ten feet tall and six feet wide.

"I suppose my brother was too arrogant to fight you with overwhelming force. He thought he was being coy when he did so. I, however, do not suffer fools lightly, and if you've gotten this far, then you are not to be underestimated. I'll handle you monkeys _myself!_"

"Vegeta, we should run!" Tarble said.

"No, he's _mine!_" Vegeta snarled, clashing into Cooler. The two began to exchange blows, floating higher and higher into the air as they did. The Scouters on Cooler's men exploded trying to gauge the power the two were giving off. They turned to the Saiyans, fists clenched.

"I wouldn't try it," Meys warned, "We're all on the same level as he is."

The soldiers looked up to their Lord, who was clearly on the losing end of his fight with Vegeta. After a few more blows, the two separated.

"I can see why my brother had trouble with you monkeys. You're a lot more than I expected. But if you think this is the extent of my power, you're in for a surprise!"

Vegeta scoffed, "Please. I'm more powerful now than the warriors that forced Freeza into his final form. You don't stand a chance against me until you show me everything! _Do you hear me, Cooler? EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!_"

Vegeta put his hands together, and began to glow purple. Cooler began to glow white, and change shape.

"YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE FASTER THAN THAT! GARLIC! GUN!" Vegeta screamed, firing the purple beam at Cooler. It engulfed the shrinking Cooler, and everyone blocked the light from their eyes.

When it was over, Vegeta was still floating in the air, fists clenched. Cooler was replaced with a cloud of smoke.

"Did he do it? Is it done?" Tarble asked.

"No. It's just begun," Yamcha said.

The smoke cleared, and Cooler had successfully changed into his fourth form. He was almost all purple now, except for the white hide on his head, wrists, ankles, and chest. His horns were gone. It glared at Vegeta.

"Is this what you wanted, Vegeta? Here I am, at my fullest. Can you comprehend it, Saiyan, without a Scouter, or am I beyond you?" Cooler asked. Vegeta gave him a toothy grin.

"It's still not enough," Vegeta told him, and he punched Cooler into the ice wall. Instead of screaming and pouting like Vegeta expected the brother of Freeza to do, Cooler began to laugh.

"Very good, monkey! You may actually be a challenge!" Cooler said, stepping out of the cavern his impact had made. Vegeta was looking a lot less sure as Cooler floated over.

"I'd been biding my time in a bid to prove my father was wrong to favor Freeza, but I suppose now is as good as any to show off some of the conditioning I've been putting myself under. My father and Freeza may have believed themselves the superior beings, but I was not one to leave it up to chance. I have delved into our people's history, and learned their limits...And I have _surpassed them!_"

Cooler's muscles expanded, his shoulders now bulking up to his ear-slits. He returned Vegeta's punch, but didn't allow Vegeta to impact the ice. Instead he grabbed Vegeta by the hair, and he began to punch Vegeta around like a punching bag. Vegeta reached out and fired a wide spread blast of Ki at Cooler, which the alien just laughed at, and kicked Vegeta away.

Vegeta landed with a grunt. Tarble ran to Vegeta's side.

"Vegeta, we have to go! We might be able to outrun him while he toys with us! Get up!"

"Oh, is your little brother cheering you on, Vegeta? How sweet," Cooler chuckled.

Meys shifted his stance, and shouted, "Kaioken!"

"Kaio wha-" Cooler said, but Meys was upon him, pounding his fists into Cooler's stomach. Despite the massive power difference between Meys and Vegeta, Cooler was barely knocked back by the attacks.

"Cute trick," Cooler said, and he punched Meys into the ground with a single blow, "But it's not enough."

Meys pushed himself out of the hole as Cooler walked over him. Meys reached out and grabbed Cooler's tail.

"Kaioken times three!"

With this, Meys pulled Cooler back, and managed to drag Cooler away from Tarble and Vegeta. Cooler braced himself to stop the dragging, and lifted Meys up with his tail, slamming him against the ground. Meys punched at Cooler's tail, trying to get it to stop, but Cooler flicked Meys off, turned about, and fired a blast at Meys.

"Damn you," Vegeta gasped, "Tarble...Run…"

"Not without you! You came this far for me!"

Vegeta pushed himself off the ground, gasping for air. He pressed his mask tighter on his face, but realized the tube connecting it to his oxygen source had been broken in the fighting.

"Yamcha...You have to…" Vegeta said. His sight began to grow dark as he saw Yamcha charge at Cooler with Kaioken 5.

Kaioken 5 was looking to be the magic number, at least initially, when Yamcha landed a punch on Cooler. Yamcha grabbed Cooler by the head, leaped over him, and flipped Cooler onto the ground. Meys peeled himself out of his impact site, powered up, and landed on Cooler, kicking him while he was down.

Cooler grabbed one of Meys's legs, and began to slam him on the ground, before swinging him at Yamcha, causing both to fall to the ground. Yamcha shoved Meys off of him, and stood, smiling at Cooler.

"No, Vegeta. _You_ have to," a voice called out.

_What?_

"I told you I would get you to Super Saiyan, Vegeta. It seems like I'll have to rush it. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, boy," Roshi said.

"Old man?"

"Vegeta, I'm watching your fight. Meys and Yamcha are giving it their all. It's a lot. But it won't be enough," Roshi said.

"I'm out of air, and he thrashed me in moments. If I'd killed him right away…"

"He's a pragmatic warrior. He'd have found a way. Vegeta, you need to get back up. You're ready for this. You've been training for weeks under some of the harshest conditions you can find. No less than what Goku managed," Roshi said, "I've seen a lot of raw talent, but even with what you've started with, you've earned what you have. You have the power to pull this off, Vegeta! You just need to find it!"

"I gave him everything!"

"You gave him _nothing_, Vegeta! Do you think Goku's the only one who can achieve that power? If you don't find it, Meys is going to die! Yamcha is going to die!"

Vegeta clenched at the rubble around him.

"If you don't stop this monster now, they're going to find out about Earth! All the Saiyans will be wiped out!"

"No!" Vegeta started to push himself up.

"But before then, if you don't stop lying there? They're throwing you back in that cell! They're going to torture your brother in front of you, and _then_ they'll kill you!"

"I WON'T!" Vegeta bellowed. Cooler, who was pacing himself against Meys and Yamcha in Kaioken 10, glanced at Vegeta.

"They're going to exterminate the last of the Saiyans, because you were too scared to get up and _fight!_" Roshi said, "Are you going to let that fool Kakarot stay ahead of you?"

"I _am the Prince of the Saiyans!_" Vegeta shouted.

"The Super Saiyan is _yours!_"

Cooler punted Meys before Vegeta, and landed on top of him.

"A Prince of a corpse kingdom!" Cooler said, punching Vegeta into the ice.

It seemed like the whole continent began to shake.

The spacedock detached from the ice, forcing everyone on it to either fly or be flung. Lemo barely managed to run into Cooler's ship for cover.

"Kakarot took your destiny from you! He killed Freeza when it should have been you! And now Cooler is going to kill your brother, and end the Saiyans once and for all!" the voice said. Whether it was Roshi, Gine, or King Vegeta, the Prince couldn't tell at this point.

Lightning began to strike, and even the stars of the arctic sky seemed to be blotted out.

When Vegeta saw his unconscious brother falling into the void of the ocean below, Vegeta let out a scream, and everything, for a brief moment, turned gold.

Vegeta flew down, grabbing the unconscious Tarble, and then swerved to intercept Meys.

"So this is the Super Saiyan," Cooler said.

"Vegeta!" Yamcha flew to him, "You did it!"

Vegeta handed the two Saiyans to him, "Find the pods and escape."

"You're going to be right behind us," Yamcha said; it wasn't a question. Yamcha flew up to the parts of the dock that hadn't fallen off the ice block. Vegeta floated up to be eye to eye with Cooler.

"So this is the power that Freeza feared so much. This is what I've been working to stay ahead of," Cooler said, clenching his fists, "To think Freeza was right about you monkeys! I was content to simply become more and more powerful, but for him to be _right!_"

Cooler spat, "It _disgusts_ me. What disgusts me more is that your people were too stupid and arrogant to find it until they were already effectively extinct! But I'll make sure this is nothing more than a flash in the pan!"

Cooler fired a series of rapid Ki blasts at Vegeta, which Vegeta knocked aside again and again, before coming in for a blow against Cooler. He caught the punch, and used it to throw himself over Vegeta, and continued firing at the Super Saiyan. They had no effect as Vegeta aimed a blast of his own. It struck Cooler full on in the front, blasting off a chunk of the glacier as the tyrant impacted with it.

A wave of purple energy was fired back at Vegeta as Cooler flew back, trying to cook Vegeta under the constant barrage. He was forced to end it when he realized he was unable to keep up with Vegeta's speed. Vegeta closed the distance as Cooler pulled back on the Ki attacks, and landed a kick on Cooler's head.

Vegeta felt something crack under his foot. Cooler was sent into the ocean below; Vegeta could sense he wasn't dead yet, but the moment of disengagement gave him the clarity to look around him.

Above and along the horizon, in the night sky, there were thousands of exploding orbs. The distraction was underway. Millions of bombs were detonating throughout the solar system, large and constant enough to distract and disrupt the fleets in the system. Vegeta watched as three pods were taking off into the sky. He gasped when he saw the defense cannons firing at them.

"Tarble!" Vegeta yelled, flying off in their direction, and leaving Cooler to the icy depths. Within moments, Vegeta had them destroyed, making it safe for the pods to take off into space. Only then did Vegeta's mind go back to Cooler. Try as he might, he could not sense the tyrant; he was either dead, too low power to sense, or too far away.

"Damn you, Cooler! IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, YOU'D BETTER FIND THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF SPACE TO HIDE IN, COOLER! THE NEXT TIME, I'LL TEAR YOU IN HALF!" Vegeta yelled to the ocean.

Vegeta flew back to the base, and quickly found where the pods were kept. Not even bothering to open it, Vegeta ripped it out of its container, and flew after the other three. Once he caught up, he kept pace, opened his pod, and activated it. The pod automatically realized it was flying, detected the other pods, and engaged its engines to keep pace. Vegeta climbed inside, and relaxed, his Super Saiyan aura dissipating. The door closed, and Vegeta found the channel Yamcha was on.

"Gotta say, Vegeta, that was intense! I almost can't believe you did it!" Yamcha said, "We're not out of the woods yet, but I don't think the Cold Force is going to mess with us after that!"

"I don't know if I finished him. I couldn't even do that…" Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, if you beat yourself up about this, _I'm_ gonna go Super Saiyan and kick your ass," Yamcha said, "That was _amazing._ That guy took _both_ of us at Kaioken times ten and still took out Meys. Whoever he was-Cooler, wasn't it?-he's _way_ tougher than Freeza was."

"Vegeta," Tarble said, "You became the Super Saiyan!"

Vegeta smiled, "Of course I did. I'm the greatest warrior of our people. Nobody messes with my family."

"I'm glad you came for me, Vegeta. Maybe we can find a way to bring our people back, too," Tarble said.

"Maybe. We're almost out of the system. I'll set a course for Earth. And Yamcha? I'm sorry we left Lemo. He...Sacrificed a lot for my sake," Vegeta said.

"Lemo's tougher than he looks. We'll come back for him. He'll survive," Yamcha said.

XXX

_Cold Planet 255  
April 5, A763_

Lemo was unsure if he was happy that Lord Cooler had survived. With Wata on the verge of death, command of the planet had fallen to Cooler's second in command, Salze. Salze was disinterested in operating the prison, and had shoved those responsibilities off to Lemo.

"How the hell did I manage to get the job?" Lemo grumbled to himself. He hated to admit it, but he actually enjoyed being in command; he got to run things his way. Lemo was in constant danger, however, since his power level was so low. Only Salze's paranoia and twitchiness prevented any of the powerful guards from making their move on Lemo's position.

"Lemo!" Dore called for him.

"Gah! Oh! Yes, sir?"

"Lord Cooler is awake. He wants to speak with you immediately."

"Oh, um, yes sir, right away," Lemo said. He grabbed a datapad and followed Dore to the medical bay.

Cooler's head had been cracked open; his head-gem had been leaking blood when they'd pulled him out of the ocean. Lemo got a brief glance of the spiderweb fracture before a medic placed a patch over it. Cooler recoiled at the pain; the medic flinched, muttering pleas for Cooler not to kill him. The tyrant didn't notice the medic at all.

"Turn down the lights, it hurts," Cooler instructed, and the lights in the med bay dimmed, "So, Commander Lemo. It seems fortune has smiled on you again."

"No, sire. First Lord Freeza, and now yourself, I'm a bit of a bad luck charm," Lemo said.

"Hmph. Fair enough. Still, I'm told you've been keeping this prison running, is that correct?"

"Until Captain Wata recovers, yes."

"Hmm. I think Captain Wata has something to prove after his failure to contain the Saiyans, or prevent their friend from intruding. I'll be assigning him elsewhere, if he survives his injuries. I'm afraid you're stuck with this posting for a while, Commander."

Lemo swallowed a huge lump in his throat, "Yes, sire."

"Is there any clue how the intruder got in, or who he was?" Cooler asked.

"Yes, sire. I believe he is a companion to the warriors that assisted the Saiyans on Earth. An affiliate of the New Saiyan Empire, as well, by the name of Yamcha," Lemo said.

"Earth! There's that damn planet again! First that pod that escaped Planet Vegeta, then on Namek, now here! What is _on_ that planet?" Cooler hissed. He winced, and held his head.

"We believe Earth is a lot more advanced than expected. It's possible that they have some kind of stealth ship technology they used to bypass our scanners. Expensive, but only enough for one infiltrator. That's why they had to hijack our pods to leave; they didn't have a ship capable of taking all of them. I'm afraid that's all conjecture, but considering that they managed to land two vessels on Namek without being detected, it's the best theory we have," Lemo said.

"Theories. Show me the salvage, and I'll believe it," Cooler said.

"Of course, sire. We'll search for them. We did, however, find their infiltration point, and found evidence that something had landed there before takeoff," Lemo said. This was a bold-face lie, of course; Lemo himself had modified a drone to drill into the prison and leave those marks to create the evidence, and then he had it self-destruct underwater.

"Hmm. They were thorough. This Earth sounds like it's going to be a tougher world to handle than we previously though. I'll tell father what you've told me, and we'll begin a plan to take the world and deal with those Saiyans once and for all. What about the prison?"

Lemo looked at his datapad, and took a deep breath.

"We lost a lot of prisoners from the system failures, sire, and I don't think we can reasonably call this facility impenetrable anymore," Lemo said.

"Understatement of the day, right behind that this hurts," Cooler rubbed his head again.

"Of course, sire. What I mean is that with the system failures, a further attempt to escape is likely to succeed, and once the Saiyans and the Earthling reunite with the New Saiyan Empire, they're going to have the schematics. There will be future attempts, sire, and some of them are likely to succeed. Even if they don't try, we're going to lose prisoners, either from escapes of opportunity, or from system failure. I've ordered some of the frozen cell blocks reactivated so we can move prisoners in high-risk areas," Lemo explained.

"So the Ice Box is leaking now," Cooler sighed, "Fine. Seal off or destroy the parts of the prison that can't be recovered, and move prisoners, as you suggested."

"We'll do our best," Lemo said, "But as I said, I can't guarantee the Ice Box will function as it used to. I'm afraid to report there have already been other escapes. Some artifacts have been stolen, as well. We don't believe they've made it offworld, but it's only a matter of time."

Cooler nodded, "I don't like it, but I understand. I'll assign you a bodyguard to keep you safe. Continue your work, Warden Lemo. Do me proud, and once we've dealt with Earth, there may be a governorship in store for you after all your hard work."

Lemo faked a grin, "That's most generous, Lord Cooler! Thank you, I'll try not to fail you!"

"Now begone. I need to rest, and contact father," Cooler said, dismissing him with a wave. Lemo bowed, and left the room.

He let out a sigh of relief. With those reasonable expectations laid forth before Cooler and accepted, Lemo began to run through the most important prisoners in the facility he could stage an escape for. The New Saiyan Empire was going to get some recruits.


	47. Lost Souls

_King Kai's Planet  
April 2, A763_

"Did it work?" Gohan asked. Roshi nodded.

"He did it. He became a Super Saiyan," Roshi said. Gohan and Guru let out a sigh of relief. Roshi grinned, "Though I don't think it was me. He passed out, and then his brother gave him his own oxygen mask. When he woke up, Vegeta turned Super Saiyan."

"You still helped get him to this point. It's more than I expected of him, to be honest," King Kai said, "You really saw good in him, didn't you?"

"There's good in most people. It's just a matter of reminding them why it's worth it," Roshi said, "How long will it take them to get back to the New Saiyan Empire?"

King Kai's antennae twitched, "They're actually headed to Earth. It's a shorter distance. Hopefully, Vegeta or Goku will get back before King Cold or Cooler decide to go there. Either way, it'll be a few months."

"The Namekians will be wanting to return home soon, King Kai. Whatever this task is you wanted us to do, we only have a few days before they use the Dragon Balls to wish Roshi back to life," Guru said.

"We've all learned the Kaioken, King Kai," Gohan said, "We're ready for this."

King Kai looked to Roshi, who adjusted his sunglasses, still lost in thought. Roshi's heart was not totally pure; for this, that was important. But he accepted and acknowledged his weakness, which made him stronger than most.

"I've been looking for students who could handle the Kaioken for a long time, Roshi. Then, I meet your student, and he takes it further than I could have imagined. Then Yamcha and Meys. Oh, and Yajirobe, too. You're a dead mortal in the afterlife. You've given me and my technique more of a future than I expected. I'm not surprised you mastered it, too.

"But I have to warn you, Roshi: You aren't as pure as some of your students. With what I've got in mind, it will be a true test of your mind, body, and soul. You'll be headed into the darkest places in the Otherworld, and dealing with some of the most evil creatures, mortal or immortal. Are you sure you're up for this?" King Kai asked.

Roshi took a deep breath, "I'm going to have to be."

King Kai smiled, "That's the right answer. See, when Raditz came to me, with his body and more powerful than he'd died, I knew something was seemed sincere, and Goku agreed, so I decided to overlook it until the crisis on Earth was dealt with, especially because he and Goku got along so well once they were both my students.

"But then the fight with Vegeta happened. Things were looking pretty dire for him. He was barely able to keep up with Vegeta, while Goku charged the Spirit Bomb. Raditz then used an attack I never thought I'd see be used by a mortal: The Devil's Due."

King Kai paused for effect, expecting gasps and horror.

"...What's that?" Gohan asked, breaking the awkwardly long silence.

"The Devil's Due is an extremely powerful and dangerous technique. It converts a portion of one's soul into Ki energy, allowing the user to achieve power much higher than they normally can reach. But it's both a double-edged sword, and a false promise: the power of one's soul is important to protect a mortal from the influences of evil, and plays no small part in a person's potential. Over time, a soul can be repaired through good deeds and clean living. Secondly, a portion of the power of the burned soul goes to the entity that taught the technique to the user, which means they're not even getting the full amount of power that the technique promises," King Kai explained.

"So something taught Raditz the Devil's Due, expecting him to use it?" Guru asked. King Kai nodded.

"Whoever or whatever it was used Raditz to trick me into teaching their puppet the Kaioken, and then had them resurrected. If Raditz ever taught the move to anyone else, then that being would have access to their power, as well! We could risk all kinds of evil flooding the Earth, something that has happened to the Earth before. It was those secrets that made King Piccolo such a horrible, corrupted tyrant; why King Piccolo could never be redeemed. We're lucky that corruption didn't transfer to his son, or we'd still be dealing with them!" King Kai said.

"So king Piccolo made a deal with some devil entity?" Roshi asked. King Kai nodded.

"He found some old secrets, which I worked very hard to have destroyed long ago. Even the people above me, the Supreme Kais, had to get involved. If someone's trying to reintroduce this evil power to Earth, we could be dealing with something apocalyptic! I need to find out who Raditz learned it from, and the extent of the corruption. That's both why this will be so difficult, Roshi, and why I need you. Guru and Gohan can help me on this side, but I'm going to need _you_, once you're alive, to investigate this, and warn them!" King Kai said.

"Because I'm not pure, I'm vulnerable to this power's temptations," Roshi guessed. King Kai gave an affirmative grunt. Roshi clenched his fists, "Don't worry, King Kai. I won't be alone, and I know when to stay focused. And when I'm alive again, I'll protect Raditz from himself."

King Kai smiled, "I bet you will. The best place to start looking is down in Hell. I've already told Goz and Mez to expect you; they already have a lead of where to start looking."

"We've got this, King Kai! We won't let you down!" Guru said. He looked up at Snake Way in the distance, "Should we just...Jump down and fall into Hell? Or do we run Snake Way and take a staircase down?"

"Jumping's probably faster, but who knows where you'll end up. I avoid going to Hell if I can, so who knows where you'll end up," King Kai said.

"Let's take the stairs, then," Gohan said. With all three in agreement, they bid farewell to their teacher, and jumped back onto Snake Way, each of the three warriors landing on their feet on Snake Way. Instead of running the length, they leaped, making a journey that normally took months in a matter of hours instead. It still wasn't quite as fast as taking King Kai's car, but he hadn't offered.

King Yemma was astonished when the three of them entered his office, "Wait, didn't King Kai just send you?"

"Yeah, why? Sorry about the delay, I almost missed my jumps a couple times," Roshi admitted, rubbing his lip. Yemma grunted.

"Kids today have it too easy," he grumbled, "Well, the stairway to Hell is over there. Have fun, try not to bring anything back with you, or I'll toss you back in with it."

"Thank you, King Yemma," Guru bowed to him. Gohan, and then Roshi repeated the gesture, leaving the Ogre King smiling as he went back to work.

"Wow, everything's so spiky," Gohan said, looking around.

"I don't know, that pond over there looks nice," Guru said. Gohan looked to him and smiled.

"There's a sign that said 'Blood Pond.'"

Guru followed where Gohan was pointing, and saw the sign.

"Well, it looks like the souls here are still enjoying it, so I still think it's lovely. Even if it's a little morbid," Guru insisted.

"Hey, Mez! Look at what we've got here!" a deep, gruff voice called.

"Uh oh looks like we've got people with slippery shoes! Where'd you get the bodies, fellas? Nobody in Hell is supposed to have them unless you're Ogres!" another said. Two Ogres, one red and one blue, approached. The red one had a round head and a bowl haircut of black hair. The blue one had messy blue hair and a more square shaped head. They were both muscular and buff, each held an oversized club, and they each wore white shorts and a white tanktop with the word "HELL" on the front.

"These were gifts from King Kai, our bodies from our youths. We're his students, on a mission. Do either of you know Goz or Mez?" Gohan asked.

"Wait, what? You're King Kai's students? But he just sent you here, how did you get here so quickly?" the red one asked.

"We jumped," Roshi said with a smirk. The two Ogres gawked at the three of them, and then looked at each other.

"W-Wow, maybe you _can_ handle this! I'm Mez," the red Ogre said.

"And I'm Goz. Welcome to Hell," the blue one said.

"Thank you, it's a pleasure to be...Here...In Hell," Gohan said, looking around and regretting saying anything.

"If you say so. Come on, we'll show you around," Goz said.

"See, Hell is organized into groups by planet and by century. The older the spirit, the further away it is from King Yemma's office. Hell is always growing, infinitely," Mez said.

"How do you guard all the spirits? Are there infinite Ogres?" Guru asked.

"No, actually. See, we use these here clubs to smack around evil spirits whenever they do evil, but we also let them go around, make friends, have a good time. Making friends and punishing evil builds up good energy in them, and eventually they're made pure enough to send them through the Soul Cleansing Machine in the Laundry district. So eventually, we clear out a century, and when that happens, it disappears. Only the worst of the worst remain after about a thousand years, and those are handled by specialists," Goz explained.

"So if you're evil, you spend time in Hell to be purified, and then what happens? How do the spirits disappear?" Roshi asked.

"They get reincarnated," Gohan said, "That's how people go through the cycle of death and rebirth. Each time you go through life, you become a little more wiser, a little more pure."

"Then you join with the other spirits in Heaven, strengthening the bonds of the universe. This is why death is nothing to fear, and why a soul is so precious: You will spend eternity in paradise, protecting the universe from evil just by being a pure soul," Guru continued.

"Yep, that's exactly right. That's why we have to be so buff and fast, to keep up with these spirits! They're faster and more cunning than they look!" Mez said, smacking a spirit cloud with his club that was cutting across the trail in front of them.

"Be careful not to get mean, yourself. A torturer cuts himself before his victim," Gohan cautioned.

"Well, it's fun to hit things, but we're friends with most of the spirits, honestly. It's hard work, but being cruel just doesn't seem worth it. They do it to themselves, mostly," Mez said.

"Yeah, I like my job. I make lots of friends, stay in shape, it pays well, and I have a lot of time off when we're not in a rush!" Goz said.

"Hmm. Well, so long as you are mindful, then," Gohan shrugged.

"So where's the problem?" Roshi asked.

"Well, some spirits were too powerful in life for us to take their bodies away," Mez pointed with his club to the section of hell they were headed to. It was a city of makeshift buildings and streets, and they could clearly see people with halos walking around.

"How do you purify them?" Guru asked.

"Sometimes King Kai deals with them, but mostly they figure things out on their own. If they're too powerful, their section of Hell will go deeper, and then they'll have to deal with the guardians down there, who are much more powerful and have all kinds of tricks," Mez said.

"The pixies and the angels," Goz remarked. The two Ogres shuddered together. Goz continued, "Particularly strong or evil spirits may have a specialist dedicated to them."

"You two!" someone called out as they approached the town. It was a Saiyan with tall, spiky hair, a medallion on his chest, wearing a red cape, and had a goatee. Roshi and Guru stood straight when they saw him; he looked just like Vegeta.

"Ugh, what do you want, Vegeta?" Goz asked.

"That's _King_ Vegeta! I live in a hovel! These accommodations are completely inappropriate for royalty such as I!" King Vegeta said.

"And here we have part of our problem," Mez said, gesturing to Vegeta.

"I don't understand, who is this?" Gohan asked.

"DON'T YOU IGNORE ME!" King Vegeta took a swing at Goz, who recoiled away from the Saiyan, but Roshi grabbed Vegeta's arm.

"That was a abd move," Roshi said, "You should apologize."

"_Why you impudent whelp! I will teach you a lesson!_" King Vegeta hissed, pulling up his leg for a kick. Roshi shifted his stance and flipped Vegeta up and over, landing him on his head.

"Now why don't you apologize to my friend Goz here for being so rude?" Roshi said.

"I'll do _no_ such thing!" the King snarled. Goz started to smack King Vegeta with his club. Roshi held up his hand for Goz to stop, and Roshi squatted to get closer to King Vegeta, who had rolled onto his back.

"You're King Vegeta, of the Saiyans, right?"

"So you recognize royalty and power when you see it!" King Vegeta harrumphed, rolling again to get onto his feet.

"I know ego and arrogance when I see it," Roshi said. King Vegeta punched at Roshi, but he sidestepped the attack, and struck with a series of blows with an outstretched hand, hitting the Saiyan on the neck, chest, and waist. The blows were enough to send the King reeling back and wincing at the pain.

"Who _are_ you?" the King demanded, "Haven't I failed enough, I have to be mocked for my weakness?"

"Probably," Roshi said, "If half the stories I've heard about Saiyans are true."

"Why _are_ there Saiyans here, if this is Earth's Hell?" Guru asked.

"Yeah, well, the problem with Saiyans is that their planet blew up. So there's no more Planet Vegeta, meaning there's no reason to keep Planet Vegeta's Hell around. And then since Earth became the only place any Saiyans were living permanently, it was decided that Earth and Planet Vegeta's Hells would be mixed together," Maz said.

"That explains why Vegeta's father is here," Gohan said.

"Wait, you know my son?" King Vegeta said, standing straight.

"And since so many Saiyans were powerful, you couldn't take their bodies, which is also why this town is here," Guru said looking around.

"Where is my son?" King Vegeta demanded.

"So what's the issue?" Roshi asked.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" King Vegeta charged a Ki attack and fired at Roshi, who caught the blast and sent it off into the distance. He turned to King Vegeta, and grinned.

"Well, at least I know where he gets _that_ from. Yes, I know your boy," Roshi said to King Vegeta.

"Has he avenged us? Is he ruling the Galaxy yet? Tell me the Emperor Freeza is dead!" King Vegeta said. Roshi tapped his lips, thinking, and smiled.

"I'll tell you, but you have to help us with our investigation. On your honor, deal? If you're nice to Goz and Mez from now on, I might even be able to deliver a message to your son," Roshi said. King Vegeta glowered and took a breath; Roshi had effortlessly bested him, but being childish about it was unbecoming.

"Very well. I'll assist you, then. What gains has my son made? Has he avenged the Saiyans?" King Vegeta asked.

"Yes and no. Freeza _is_ dead, at the hands of a Saiyan. A Super Saiyan, in fact. But it was my own student, Goku, no your son," Roshi said. King Vegeta clenched his fist, and closed his eyes.

"So my failure is complete. Not even my own heir could avenge us," King Vegeta said. King Vegeta turned and fired a blast at a nearby building. The Saiyan who was living there landed on the ground, shook his fist at Vegeta, and shouted,

"Hey, what's the big-Oh, King Vegeta, I'm sorry, I-"

King Vegeta fired more Ki at the Saiyan, forcing him up higher and higher before he disappeared over the horizon. Roshi put his hand on King Vegeta's shoulder.

"But that's not everything. Your youngest son, Tarble, was captured by the Freeza Force," Roshi said. King Vegeta let out a huff.

"Of course _he_ was captured."

"It took the Ginyu Force to bring him in, and they locked him away in the Ice Box. I'm sure you're familiar with it. From what I've heard, he put up a valiant fight. And until today, he survived that place," Roshi said.

"So Tarble, too, is dead?"

Roshi smiled, and began to tell him the tale of Tarble's capture and incarceration, and Vegeta's daring and well-planned escape. The images of Vegeta becoming Super Saiyan and fighting Cooler was fresh in his mind and energizing Roshi, so the three students of King Kai reenacted some of the action, which excited and engaged King Vegeta.

"So, my son is also a Super Saiyan! I never thought I'd live to see the day!" King Vegeta said. Roshi and Gohan chuckled; King Vegeta didn't notice, "Fighting Cooler and leaving him for dead! I know he'll avenge us and destroy King Cold, as well!"

"Vegeta's become a powerful warrior, to be sure. He's also learned a lot of humility. He was surpassed even by Nappa, for a while, but it only drove him further and further," Roshi said, "He's headed back to Earth now, but it could be in danger. If we don't get to the bottom of this, your sons, both of them, could be in danger of something they can't even fight."

"I did give you my word. What is this threat?" King Vegeta asked. Roshi turned to Mez.

"Sorry about interrupting you, sonny. What's been happening down here?" Roshi asked.

"Well, like I said, because Earth is the only planet with a permanent Saiyan population, we merged Planet Vegeta's Hells together. But since there are so many powerful Saiyans, we couldn't take their bodies until they choose to give them up. But for whatever reason, the Saiyans are disappearing from hell anyway!" Mez said.

"They could just be headed to deeper parts of Hell to be alone and fight, that's what Saiyans do," Goz said, "But losing track of souls, especially powerful souls, is _very_ bad news!"

"You're here about that? Yes, I know of what you are talking about," King Vegeta said, "There has been some strange alien that has been coming through now and again, making promises of power and purpose."

"Wait, why didn't you say anything about this before?" Goz demanded.

"Because I don't have to tell you anything!" King Vegeta snapped. He glanced at Roshi, and remembered his offer, "But I, erm, promise to tell you anything you want to know."

"What does this alien look like?" Gohan asked.

"Blue-green skin, white hair that goes straight up like this before ending in a flat top around here. Pointed ears and long canines. He wears these white robes and pink pauldrons. Almost like a Namekian, but with hair and no antennae," King Vegeta explained.

"I don't recognize it," Roshi admitted, and he turned to the others, "What about you?"

Gohan shook his head, but Guru stroked his chin, "Like a Namekian but with hair and no antennae...Dark green skin...Could he be a Makyan?"


	48. Hell Heist

_Earth's Hell  
April 2, A763_

"I've heard of the Makyans. Wizards and servants to demons. It is said they are unworthy warriors my ancestors warred with," King Vegeta said.

Guru nodded, "From what I have learned from my ancestors, the Saiyans saved the Galaxy from them. The Makyans and the Namekians were once brother races. Though we did not share a world, when we explored the stars, we did so together. They were tempted by evil, however, and we were forced to fight our brothers. We cast them out, and their homeworld, the Makyan Star, went into hiding, continuing to terrorize the cosmos for millenia. Then, when they came to your homeworld, the Saiyans warred with the Makyans, and drove them to the brink of extinction. Now, what has become of them, I cannot say."

"I can't say I've heard of the Makyans. But if they're behind this, we'll need to find out. King Vegeta, can you lay an ambush for this fellow? Tell him you're finally interested in what he has to say, and then we'll interrogate him," Roshi said.

"A simple matter. He should be coming by soon," King Vegeta said, "I'll force him to tell us what we want to know."

Gohan shook his head, "No, you should ask him everything you can, and then accept his offer. We'll follow you, and we might be able to learn more."

"I am a Saiyan warrior! I will not stand for this sneaking about!" King Vegeta huffed, "I will confront my enemies head on!"

"I won't stop you from making that call, King Vegeta. But the more we know, the more we'll be able to do to protect your sons," Roshi said. King Vegeta pointed to a building.

"I'll have him meet me there. Whether or not I choose to follow your advice, you'll know whether or not from the screams," King Vegeta said, leaving them.

"Well, that's the best we're going to get," Guru said.

"We should set up watches around the town, and see what direction he comes from. Even if he doesn't lead us back, we'll be able to get a direction, at least," Gohan said, "Roshi, you should watch King Vegeta. Mez, you take that way, Goz, you take the area towards the staircase. I'll be opposite Mez, and Guru, you take that direction."

"Good thinking, Gohan," Roshi said, "Let's do it."

Roshi found a hiding spot by some trash in the alleyway next to the building King Vegeta had pointed out. It was embarrassing and stinky, and he fussed while getting into position, trying not to gag, but there was no better spot.

Sure enough, he heard King Vegeta down the street of the village talking to someone.

"I've considered what you've been saying, and I appreciate the prospect of a new challenge. Hell bores me; truly, boredom is the greatest torment here."

"I'm glad to hear that, Vegeta-"

"_King_ Vegeta! So long as there are Saiyans for me to rule over, I am still King!" he insisted.

"_King_ Vegeta," the voice corrected, "Why don't you follow me?"

"I have yet to truly make up my mind. Follow me, I have questions," King Vegeta said, leading the other figure to the house. Once they were inside, Roshi managed to peek in through the window. The comparison to haired Namekians was only partially true; Roshi was expecting more of a round head and more green than blue, but the skin texture seemed true enough, and in the proportions.

"So what is it you wished to know, King Vegeta?" the stranger asked. King Vegeta hesitated, looking out the window Roshi was peeking through; Roshi ducked to avoid drawing attention to himself.

"The last time I worked for a tyrant, he destroyed my world and my kingdom. I refuse to work with a stranger, either. A battle worth fighting is one thing, but I'll be in on the whole scheme," King Vegeta said, "No damned secrets."

"Very well. You see, in life, I served my immortal master, Garlic Junior. He attempted to claim the world of Earth, as per his birthright, but the world's warriors banished him to the Dead Zone, from whence there is no escape-normally, of course. But fortune has smiled upon him, and he has returned," the being explained.

Roshi fought a retch-Piccolo had told him about Garlic Junior and his bid for world conquest. If a being like _that_ was behind this, then the Earth was in great danger.

"We're alone, right?" the being asked.

"Of course we are. Why should I serve this Garlic Junior? Just because he's immortal doesn't mean he's strong, especially if the measly warriors of Earth bested him," King Vegeta said.

"Ah, but last time, he didn't have our true source of power: Our homeworld, the Makyo Star, is approaching the Earth, and he has escaped, and is more powerful than ever. But he won't make the same mistakes twice: He's struck a deal, and any Saiyan warrior willing to join him will be brought back to life once the Earth is his. You'll still be dead, but you'll have a body and access to the mortal world. The fighters of Earth have only grown more powerful, so the challenge will be more than interesting for the likes of _you_, King Vegeta," the being said.

"So I help him conquer Earth, and we come back to life? What's the catch? I won't serve your master if we're forever bound to his will," King Vegeta said, "I do not serve, I rule."

"Of course not! Your reward for your service is life. Once the Earth's warriors are defeated, you will be permitted to choose to either serve in Garlic's kingdom or as long as you wish, or return the stars, and conquer as you please. Or, of course, you can always try your hand at defeating an Immortal King, and claim his realm for yourself," the being chuckled at the prospect.

"We'll see, when the time comes. What kind of power does Garlic Junior have that allows him access to the souls of Hell?"

"Enough questions, that's for Garlic Junior to deal with. All you have to do is destroy his enemies, and you'll be restored to life. Do we have a deal?" the being reached out to shake King Vegeta's hand. The Saiyan monarch hesitated, and shook the being's hand.

"I'll take your master's deal, Nicky. How many more Saiyans do you need before he's ready?"

Nicky smiled, "Just one."

With a flash of red light, King Vegeta and Nicky disappeared.

"WHAT?" Roshi jumped through the window, "Where'd they go?"

The house was empty, aside from some ash on the ground where they'd been standing. Roshi closed his eyes, and concentrated.

"King Kai, were you watching?" Roshi asked.

"I was. This is bad news, very bad! Makyans are extremely dangerous, the Earth is in incredible danger!"

"Piccolo told me about Garlic Junior. If he's immortal, then there's nothing we can do to stop him, except imprison him!" Roshi said.

"There is _one_ other option, but it's not one we want to consider. I'm going to warn the Earth - they have to know!" King Kai said.

Gohan spoke up, "Roshi, go back to King Yemma's, and get ready to return to Earth. Guru, Mez, Goz, and I will stop Nicky or any of Garlic Junior's goons if they decide they want more Saiyans after all."

"Thank all of you. Guru, Gohan, I'm so happy to have trained with you two, and seen you again," Roshi said.

"You'll see us again, when you're ready," Guru said, "Now go, my brother. Save your world, as you had saved mine!"

Roshi ran out of the house, turned, and began to run. With a shout of "Kaioken!" he bolted straight to the staircase up to King Yemma's.

XXX

_Briefs Manor_  
_April 2, A763_

Brussa glowered from the picnic table at Krillin and Maron. She chewed on a bone, eventually cracking it in her jaw.

"You're certainly in a weird mood," Raditz said, sitting next to his sister. Blue Launch sat next to Raditz, wrapping her arms around his bicep.

They were having a party to celebrate the Namekians going home, which meant food and festivities. Everyone still on Earth that they knew was here. Even Piccolo had come, though that was mostly because Cargo insisted on seeing off the Namekians and watching Porunga one more time.

Krillin had brought his new girlfriend, Maron, along, and was essentially showing her off to everyone. So far, Maron had grabbed Gine's tail, called Chi Chi an old maid, told Bulma she was out of fashion, and asked the Namekians why they made crop circles. Krillin had spent most of the party alternating between trying to stop Maron from causing trouble, and apologizing for said trouble. Juggling the two tasks had proven impossible.

"I have a weird feeling, and I don't know what it is," Brussa said, crunching the bone again.

"Well, explain it to me," Raditz said, "Maybe I can help."

"Well, it's Krillin's mate, Maron. I want to _fight_ Krillin. He's never done anything mean to me, but I want to fight him. When I look at Maron, I want to put her somewhere nobody can take her. Looking at her gives me this...I don't know...Rush? I don't know how to explain it. It's like craving a certain food, but can't remember what it is, only I want to fight instead. Everything in my body is telling me to _do something_. It makes me _angry_, but all I want to _do_ is look at her," Brussa said.

"Like you want to fight, but you can't remember who you want to fight...Yes, I think I know this feeling," Raditz said. Launch giggled.

"Brussa, you have a _crush,_" Launch said. Brussa broke the steak bone in her mouth again.

"Crush _what_ though? How do I get _rid_ of this feeling?" Brussa demanded, "Or have _more_ of it? _I don't even know what I want!_"

"It means you're attracted to someone. It's perfectly normal," Launch rubbed her head against Raditz's neck, "I feel that way when I look at your brother."

"_That's_ the feeling! Yes, of course!" Raditz said, his eyes lighting up, "Like you could conquer all the stars, just for her!"

"You're lucky that all I want is you," Launch said. The two kissed, chuckling to each other. Brussa sucked the marrow out of the bone, and tossed it onto her plate.

"So, what, I should defeat Krillin and take his mate as my own?" Brussa asked, "Will that make this feeling go away?"

"It's a _good_ feeling, Brussa. There's no reason to be _angry_ about it. But I know what it's like to want someone you can't have," Launch said, "Maron is with Krillin, and she makes him happy. Just be happy for him, and focus on something else."

Brussa let out a grunt, "I'm going to focus on getting more food."

"Hey everybody!" Bulma called out, "I just got a call from Tights! Their mission was a success! They're on their way back to Earth, they should be back around June."

"_June?_ Why are they getting back in June, when Goku won't be back for over a _year?_" Chi Chi growled, "I've got a _baby_ on the way and _Vegeta's_ going to meet it before its _father?_"

Maron let out a squeak, "Oh my _gosh_ you're _pregnant?_ I just thought you were _fat_!"

Krillin let out a groan while Chi Chi shot daggers at her. As Brussa piled steaks onto her plate, trying to keep her mind on food rather than the blunt, gorgeous, energetic Maron, Nappa leaned down to her.

"Did you know Chi Chi was pregnant? I thought she'd just gained weight, too," Nappa admitted. Brussa glared at her father.

"Yes, father, I knew she was pregnant. That's why she keeps finding boxes of Gohan's old things and complaining about how there's no room in the house," Brussa said. Nappa chewed on his own steak, thinking.

"Does that mean we're going to have to move out of Kakarot's house?"

"Probably?"

"Hmm. I wasn't around when Gine was pregnant with you, so I'm not sure what to do."

Brussa sat next to her father, now thinking, "Well it's getting cramped in Kakarot's house now that there's so many of us, and with another baby, it's going to need room to fly around and get in fights, right?"

"Right. So we're going to have to find a new place to live," Nappa said. Gine came over, and flopped on the ground in front of Nappa, looking tired and rubbing her tail after Maron had pulled it.

"What are we talking about?" Gine asked.

"Strategy," Nappa said.

"Are we talking about a battle?" Raditz asked, overhearing.

"I think so," Gine said.

"We're talking about what Chi Chi needs for the baby," Nappa said.

"Yeah, we're talking about battle," Gine told Raditz, who came over. Launch released her boyfriend, not wanting to get in the middle of family battle strategy time.

"So, Brussa made the point that there's _way_ too many of us living in Kakarot's house, so we're going to need somewhere new to live," Nappa said, drawing a map of the property with sauce on his place.

"Hold up, that just means there's not enough room _in Kakarot's house,_" Gine said, "Not that we can't still live there. Instead of moving somewhere _else_ we should just build a second house."

"Maybe two?" Raditz asked, blushing a bit. Gine grinned at him, but said nothing.

"And Chi Chi's going to need things for the baby, right? Like uh...Baby things," Brussa said, "Like food and, um...Oh, a punching bag. So we should do some hunting, and get meat."

"No, babies don't eat meat until they're about a year old," Gine said, "Though you were a little early on that."

"Right, they're pathetic and weak, and need their mothers until they're not so puny anymore," Brussa said.

"What does that say about you?" Raditz chuckled, messing up her hair. She punched him in the ribs, eliciting a yelp.

"Clothes, diapers, toys, books, safety equipment, blankets, a child containment unit," Nappa said, "Babies require a lot more resources than a soldier."

"I think they call child containment units 'cribs' on Earth," Raditz said.

"Well, why don't we get started tomorrow," Gine said, "Nappa and I will work with Chi Chi on getting the property set up for a second house. Nappa, you make a list of things the baby will need. Raditz and Brussa, you'll go to Chazke with Nappa's list, and get all the things Chi Chi will need for the baby."

"Logistics! First step towards any real victory!" Nappa declared, "We're gonna kick this baby's butt!"

Gine put her hand forward. Everyone put their hands on top, and they chanted, "Break!"

"What are you Saiyan up to?" Chi Chi asked with an exhausted sigh. Brussa hopped up on the picnic table.

"We're going to war!" Brussa declared.

"With _who?"_ Chi Chi groaned.

"The _baby!_" Brussa said, pointing to Chi Chi's belly.

"_What?_"

Gine rest her hand on Chi Chi's shoulder, "You and Gohan have been more than generous and kind. It's time we gave back, and made room for ourselves, Chi Chi. If you'll have us, we'd like to build a second house on the homestead."

"Brussa and I will handle the shopping. By the time my niece or nephew are born, you'll have everything you'll need already. You just focus on being a good mother," Raditz said.

"Are we going _shopping?_" Maron asked, interjecting, "Oh I _love_ shopping, can we go, too? _Pleeeease_, Krilly-Billy?"

"I mean we're just going to the open market for baby-" Raditz began.

"_Yes, yes you can,_" Brussa said, turning red.

Elder Tsuno tapped a champagne glass with a spoon, "Everyone! Thank you so much for having this wonderful party for us. These past three months on Earth have been wondrous. We've learned so much, and are so happy to have gotten to appreciate Earth's beauty. I want to thank all of you for your role in saving our people, and our planet. We will miss you all, and we promise to visit your beautiful world, and, heh, lively people. Please, gather round, and we will summon Porunga for the wishes."

"Wishes?" Maron said, "Is there a genie?"

"Maron, the Dragon Balls? I told you about them?" Krillin said. Maron gasped.

"_There's gonna be a DRAGON?_"

Brussa chewed on a steak bone, and cracked it.

The Namekian Dragon Balls were rolled into a circle, and Elder Tsuno stood before them, "_Takkaraput pop Porunga pupiritt paro!_"

The sky turned black, and lightning struck all around. The Dragon Balls glowed gold, and Porunga exploded out from where the Dragon Balls had been.

"I am the Eternal Dragon, Porunga! Make your wishes, so that you may share in Namek's wisdom!" Porunga announced.

"Great Porunga! Our first wish is for the Human warrior known as Roshi to be brought back to life!" Elder Tsuno said.

"Of course. His resurrection is an honor," Porunga said.

"Our second wish is for the environmental damage caused to Namek by the battle with Freeza and his forces to be undone!" Tsuno said.

"I am happy to restore our world to its beauty and glory. Though this is a more complicated matter, it is done," Porunga said. Tsuno turned to the Earthlings, and waved goodbye.

"Thank you all for everything you've done! Porunga! Deliver all the Namekians, except for those who have chosen to remain on Earth or explore the stars, back to Namek!"

"It is done. Your wishes have been granted, and now I return to my slumber. Until Namek needs me again," Porunga said. He flashed golden again, but instead of falling to the ground, the Namekian Dragon Balls took off into the sky. All of the Namekians, except for Piccolo, Kami, Cargo, and Dende, vanished from where they were standing.


	49. Dirt and Smiles

_Son Family Homestead  
April 3, A763_

The mood was jovial at the homestead, with spirits from the night before and the prospect of change having everyone energized. Raditz was gathered with Launch, Krillin, and Maron in front of the house. Brussa and Gohan were chasing each other in a circle, where the foundation for the second house was going to be made. The grooves they left from the speed of their game of tag. The purple infant Demsu, Icarus, did its best to keep up and try to tag the saiyans, but it was too little to keep up.

Nappa and the Ox King were studying the blueprints of the new house. Neither was an architect, but Nappa was determined to prove his worth, and the house was going to be a standard Capsule style house, which meant it would be simple to set up.

"This is going to be a huge relief," Chi Chi admitted, "I was really worried I was going to be running this house myself with a baby on one hip…"

"I can't say that I know how to run a house _quite_ like you do, Chi Chi, but we're in this together. We owe you a lot more than some baby supplies," Gine said, "I still can't get what I said to you out of my head, when I first arrived here…"

Chi Chi hugged her, "I doubt I'd have been much different if I'd been in the same position."

"You're family," Ox King said, "We take care of each other. Speaking of which, I brought Gohan and Brussa more books."

"Did you get the one about the King Piccolo Wars I asked about?" Brussa asked.

"HAH GOTCHA!" Gohan jumped over Brussa, getting in front of her.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!" Brussa gained a burst of speed, but Gohan was too small and too fast for her to grab. Her nephew laughed as Brussa tried to grab him in the circle.

"Yes, I got you the book, Brussa," Ox King said with a chuckle.

"Thank you! Gohan, when I get my hands on your tail I'm gonna strangle you with it!" Brussa said.

"Brussa, be nice!" Chi Chi called out.

"Yes, Miss Chi Chi!"

"Are you sure you've got this shopping?" Ox King asked Raditz. Raditz held up the list.

"I have a mission and clear objectives. Nothing will stand in my way!" Raditz declared.

"I don't mind going with you," Ox King said, "After all I've done much of the shopping for Gohan, too, and I raised Chi Chi on my own…"

"Don't worry, Ox King. I'll keep the Saiyans in line," Blue Launch said, "We'll get everything."

"All right. Nappa, you've got the measurements for the house down?" Ox King said to him.

"Yup! All written down and drawn up. We couldn't possibly fail!" Nappa said.

"All right. Chi Chi, honey, I'll be back tonight with the Capsule house and some furniture," Ox King.

"Don't spend too much on furniture, I'm sure they'll find a way to break it all," Chi Chi said flatly.

"What good Saiyan house doesn't break their furniture? That's what it's for!" Nappa insisted.

"I'll go for the cheap stuff," Ox King promised. He got into his car, and drove off. It was a long drive to the nearest town that would carry things like Capsule houses; Chazke was too small, but it would have everything else they would need, and if it didn't, they could have it made. Ox King had also left them money to buy supplies with; paired with what Brussa had left of the T-Rex money, it was more than enough.

"All right, Brussa and Gohan, that's enough, let me take a measurement of where we are," Nappa said, taking a measuring tape and checking the groove they'd made, "Three feet. It's a good start, but we'll have to dig some more. Brussa, you were on the shopping team, yeah?"

"Yup! I know all the shopkeepers now," Brussa said, "Are we ready to go?"

"Not until you change into something that isn't filthy," Chi Chi said, "Go change your clothes."

"They won't care!" Brussa insisted.

"Brussa, don't argue with Chi Chi," Gine warned. With a huff, Brussa went to the house.

"Shoes!" Chi Chi called to her.

"I know, I know!" Brussa yanked off her boots, lifted her pant legs, and went inside.

"Krillin, I thought we were going _shopping_?" Maron whined.

"Don't worry, we are, we're just meeting up here, is all. You'll like Chazke, it might not be the city, but they've got a lot of neat stuff for cheap, and they're really nice people," Krillin insisted.

"I don't know why Brussa invited her," Raditz grumbled to Blue Launch.

"Don't worry, if she causes any trouble, I'll handle...Handle...HAH CHOO!" Blue Launch sneezed. Blonde launch sniffed, glared at Raditz, and said, "I swear if that broad says the word 'Sneezums' again I'm gonna-"

"Uh oh someone's got the Sneezums!" Maron said. The sound of Raditz's hand cracking when Launch squeezed could be heard for miles around. Brussa came out with fresh pairs of pants and shoes.

"Is someone hurt? Are we in a fight?" she asked. Raditz just waved to her with his other hand.

"Why don't we head out, since we're all here?" Krillin asked, gesturing to Launch's flyer. Launch and Maron got into the flyer, while the other three flew alongside it; Brussa considered finding an excuse to cram into it with them, but decided being stuck in there with an irritable blonde Launch wasn't worth whatever it was Brussa's hormone-addled brain was trying to get. Not that the prospect of being crammed with Launch wasn't a temptation, itself.

"_Ack_, she's just stab me," Brussa muttered to herself, flying after Raditz and Krillin.

"Gohan, you want to do some digging?" Nappa asked the boy.

"No way, Gohan's already filthy, and he has more homework to do," Chi Chi insisted.

"Exactly, he's already dirty! Let him have a little exercise, he can do his homework tonight!" Nappa said.

"He'll be too tired to do his homework if he spends all day playing in the dirt with you. Come on, Gohan, let's get you into a bath," Chi Chi commanded.

"Aww, but mom, I wanted to dig!" Gohan said.

"Think of it as practical learning: How to dig a proper foundation for a house!" Nappa insisted. Chi Chi picked up one of the shovels, handed it to Nappa, took the plans, and handed them to Gohan.

"When it's dug, bath and then homework," Chi Chi insisted.

"Thanks, mom!" Gohan said, hopping out of the ditch. Nappa saluted Chi Chi with the shovel, and he began to dig. Gohan would 'inspect' Nappa's work every few moments, using the tape measure to make sure everything was level. Trouble arrived when Nappa discovered a rock, and had to dig around it. The project turned out to be more of a problem, as the rock turned out to be a boulder, which turned out to be a massive behemoth of a stone, and Nappa had dug much further down than the house needed.

"I don't think this is working," Nappa admitted, "It just keeps going down!"

"Then blow it up!" Gine suggested.

"Oh, hey, yeah! That should work! You're the best!"

"Wait don't do it all at once-" Chi Chi objected, but she was too late; Nappa pressed his hand against the stone, and detonated it with Ki. This sent rocks straight up into the sky, which then plummeted down like meteors. Chi Chi fired Ki at the falling stones to prevent them from going through the house.

"You numbskull! You can't just go blowing up giant rocks next to my house!" Chi Chi said.

Gohan pointed to the rock and said, "You could have just melted the part that was sticking out of the ground!"

Nappa studied the hold he'd dug, and then exploded.

"Hmm. I think you're right Gohan. But now we don't have to worry about the rock in the future!" Nappa said.

"Yeah but now we have _too much_ hole. We need to fill it in with something," Gohan pointed out. Nappa scratched his head, "Huh I guess you're right. Hey, Gine, what do you think about a basement?" Nappa asked.

"I think we're having too much trouble with the _hole_ to think about making a _basement,_" Gine said.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll, ah, I guess I'll fill this in, and then find somewhere else to get dirt, then," Nappa said, "Hey, Gohan, want to throw some of those rocks I blew up? We'll use those to get started!"

"He's just going to get more dirty-Oh nevermind!" Chi Chi grumbled, throwing up her hands as Gohan started picking up rocks and throwing them at Nappa as hard as he could.

"I'm going to go make lunch," Gine said with a laugh. After about an hour of digging and rock-throwing, Nappa had the hole as filled in as he could manage without new dirt. Nappa had a few welts on his face from Gohan's rock-throwing, but remained in good spirits.

"All right you two!" Gine called out, "Go wash up, and then lunch will be ready!"

"Mom'll be real mad if we track dirt in the house," Gohan said.

"We'll use the outside pump," Nappa said, "Then I'll do the laundry after lunch. But don't tell your mother I know how to do it, or she'll get mad at me for not telling her."

Gohan and Nappa took turns washing in the outdoor pump, and dried off with a simple power-up. Chi Chi disapproved of doing things that way, but they were clean now. Gine brought plates out to the picnic tables they used to eat outdoors, since it was a nice day. Gine had prepared piles of tuna sandwiches for them, and the three Saiyans began to devour them towers at a time. Chi Chi was happy with just a couple of them.

Halfway through lunch, Gohan looked up to the sky, towards the nearby cliffs rather than towards the road that led to their homestead.

"Do you sense that?" he asked. Gine looked at her grandson, and then to the sky. Three power levels were flying towards them at high speeds.

"I don't recognize any of those powers," Gine admitted. Nappa stopped eating for a moment, and stood, walking around the picnic table and towards the direction of the oncoming powers.

"One of them is familiar, I don't know why. But I think I know one of them," Nappa admitted, scratching his head, "But it may have been before Tao taught me how to sense energy when I met them. Where have I felt that power before?"

"They're significant, too," Gine said, "Do you think they're Freeza Force?"

"Better not risk it. Chi Chi, do you know a place you and Gohan could hide in?" Nappa asked. Chi Chi nodded.

"These mountain are our home. We'll lower our Power Levels, and make our way to Chazke and get the others," Chi Chi said, grabbing Gohan's hand.

"Wait! Icarus!" Gohan objected, "We can't leave him!"

"We'll find Fleur, and leave him with his mother," Chi Chi said; Fleur lived on the property, but often left Icarus behind to go hunting, knowing the Saiyans would protect him. Gohan scooped up the purple Demsu, who squeaked an objection, but quickly leaned his head against Gohan's shoulder. Chi Chi and Gohan flew off as the three power got closer and closer.

"You sense that?" Gine asked; there was an unmistakable kind of energy to the powers.

"Yeah," Nappa said, "I think they're Saiyans."


	50. The Returned

_Son Family Homestead  
April 3, A763_

Sure enough, three Saiyans appeared over the horizon, and came in for an easy landing before Gine and Nappa. Each of them had a golden halo above their heads. They all wore a scouter.

One was a male Saiyan of average height, with standard black hair that came up in the front, and ran about halfway down his neck. He wore the black and red armor of a Saiyan Royal Elite, with a red cape marking him as a member of the Royal Family. He was clearly a warrior Saiyan from his build.

Another was a female Saiyan wearing a black Gi over blue chest armor and gray pants. Her black hair parted out at the scalp and curved up, spiking at the ends. Despite not having any markings, she was built like a Saiyan warrior.

The third Saiyan was a woman Saiyan, with straight, purple hair. She wore white robes over chest armor, marking her as a scientist. She was not well-built, supporting that she was not a warrior. Unlike the grins on the two warriors, she had a neutral, placid look on her face.

"Zorn?" Nappa said, looking at the male Saiyan, "What are you doing here?"

"General Nappa!" Zorn laughed, walking up to him, and patting him on the arm, "Of all the Saiyans I expected, you were the last! How _are_ you?"

Nappa nodded to Zorn, "Doing well. I didn't realize you'd escaped planet Vegeta's destruction. It's good to see you again."

"Heh, I wish I could say it's true, but, sadly, it's not," Zorn said, gesturing to his Halo, "My friends and I struck a deal to get us back to the mortal realm."

"Is that food, and can I have some?" the warrior Saiyan woman asked, gesturing to the sandwiches. Gine picked up a plate and offered it to her. She threw one into her mouth, and gushed, "Oh, yes, it has been _so long_ since I ate something that wasn't _clouds._"

"Who are your friends, Zorn? Was it?" Gine asked.

"Nappa, who's the low-class?" Zorn asked, gesturing to Gine.

"This is Gine. She's my mate. She escaped Planet Vegeta, too," Nappa said.

"I suppose with most of us dead, you didn't exactly have much to pick from," Zorn said, "Scouter doesn't seem to be impressed with her power level. Or yours, for that matter, Nappa. What happened? Did you get soft? We detected a power blowing something up, and figured that was our target, but we just found the two of you."

Nappa crossed his arms, "This is my home, Zorn. Now what are you and your friends doing here?"

Zorn picked up a sandwich and ate it in a couple of bites, "Like I said, we struck a deal with someone. He wants us to find a couple people who defeated him before, kill them, and then take over this planet for him. Then, he'll make sure we'll come back to life."

"I've heard about you, General Nappa. You're a real brute, right?" the warrior Saiyan asked, "Real in-the-thick-of-it kind of leader. I can respect that. Once we're done, ditch the low-class and we'll start a _real_ line of warriors."

The warrior reached for another sandwich, when Gine grabbed her arm, and squeezed, holding her arm in place.

"This is our _home_," Gine said, "And you will _talk to me_ with _respect._"

The Saiyan warrior tried to pull her arm away, but Gine's grip was unwavering as she glared the warrior down.

"Sesamee, back off," Zorn ordered. Sesamee relaxed, signalling to Gine she was deferring, and Gine let her go. Zorn looked to Nappa.

"Look, I'll strike you a deal: You help us kill the people we're looking for, and we'll demand we get brought back immediately. Then, once we're alive, we'll deal with this creature, and we'll take over this planet for ourselves. A new Planet Vegeta. You can keep your home," Zorn said.

"There's enough room on Earth for all of us. There's no need to take over anything," Gine said.

"Tell that to King Vegeta. Of course, once we're done, I have no plans on sharing anything with him; as the King's cousin, I've got just as much of a claim as he does, doubly moreso once I send him back to the Otherworld. But we can sort this out later. Help us kill our targets, we'll come back to life, then we'll blast those freaks off this planet," Zorn said, "What do you said?"

"I can't say I dislike the idea of more Saiyans," Nappa said, looking to Gine, "We need as many as we can if we want to recover our numbers."

"Who are the targets?" Gine asked.

"Oh, damn, what were their names...It was a Namekian and a Saiyan," Zorn said.

"Piccolo and Goku," the scientist said.

"That was it, thank you Nion. Bardock's youngest brat, Kakarot. Goes by Goku here. Some puny Low-Class that went local, and some Namekian. Shouldn't be too hard, with all five us us. What do you say? Up for a little bit of a stomp?" Zorn asked.

"Absolutely not," Gine said, "Goku is my _son_, and Piccolo is a friend. We won't help you hurt some of Earth's greatest defenders."

"Nappa, why are you letting your wench talk out of line like that?" Zorn asked, "Woman, you should learn not to get too attached to children."

"Things are different, Zorn," Nappa said, "There's another way to do this."

"No, see, you've let your wench talk back to me, and now I'm insulted. You're going to tell us how to find Kakarot and this Piccolo, or I'm going to tear your mate in half in front of you, all right? I'm not asking anymore," Zorn said. Sesamee cracked her knuckles.

Gine chuckled, "Do you really think we've been standing around eating sandwiches these last few years?"

Gine punched Sesamee in the face, sending her flying up into the air. She aimed her hands, and fired a Flambe, which was a series of flaming Ki blasts meant to set the target on fire. By the time Sesamee hit the ground, she was, indeed, aflame. As Sesamee rolled around, trying to put out the fire, Gine landed a knee on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Before Sesamee could even recoil, Gine kicked the Saiyan warrior towards the cliff. Sesamee rolled down the cliff, hitting every rock and protruding plant on the way down, until she landed on top of a tree, and then struck every branch down the tree.

"Very impressive, honestly," Zorn said, applauding, "I'm not being sarcastic here, I didn't expect to see that kind of power from a Low-Class like her. And hiding your power levels, that's also a new trick. Well...New-ish. Nion, I believe _you_ figured that out before we all died, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir," Nion said. She took off the coat, revealing her sleek, well-toned arms and calves. Nion took a deep breath, and rocks and debris began to float around her. A translucent, white aura surrounded her as Nion began to power up, her yell reaching a crescendo. Her arms, shoulders, legs, and chest bulked out, and she flew straight at Gine.

"You see, Nion discovered that practice made perfect from a young age. But she kept it hidden, because her position as a scientist allowed her to study the changes happening to her. She reached just over nine thousand, but nobody ever saw her over six hundred while she was alive," Zorn explained to Nappa, "Of course, there is no kill like overkill, and we've received a bit of a power-up in exchange for our good work."

Nion struck Gine, who took the hit on the chest. Gine dug her feet into the dirt, stopping herself from flying off as she'd done to Sesamee. Gine grabbed Nion's arm and tried to flip her. Nion used the movement to move up and kick at Gine' head.

Gine ducked, aimed her hand at Nion, and fired a blast to get some distance between them. Noin rolled with the attack, doing a backflip to land back on her feet. Zorn's smile showed all his teeth, which included overly long canines.

"So long as we're working for our employer, our power on this planet will only grow. You don't stand a chance, Nappa, so just tell me where Kakarot is, and we'll kill him quickly," Zorn said, "Tell us, and I'll let your mate go, after only a little bit of a beating."

Nappa punched him in the face.

Gine stood straight and arched her back, which made a few cracking noises, and she let out a satisfied grunt, "You know, the last time I fought someone at your level was Captain Ginyu. I mean, I helped lay the hurt on Freeza, but that wasn't quite a _fight._ Truth be told, I used to _hate_ fighting. But I learned to enjoy training for myself. You understand that, right?"

"If you're trying to delay by talking, it won't work," Nion said, holding up her hand. She fired at Gine, again and again, but with each blast, Gine deflected them towards Zorn. Nion attempted to fire at different angles, but Gine charged at Nion and kept deflecting the attacks. Nappa held Zorn in place so each attack struck true. Gine reached Nion, and laid a flurry of strikes on her chest, before grabbing her arm and began to swing her around.

"Cheap Low-class warrior! Your tricks mean nothing!" Sesamee, who'd flown up into the air, aimed her hands at the ground and began to fire at both Gine and Nion. Gine let go, allowing Nion to fly up into the air at Sesamee's attack. Nion caught herself in midair and chopped at the attack, causing it to explode before it struck her.

Nappa, after he punched Zorn in the face, had grabbed Zorn with one arm, and kept punching him repeatedly in the face and chest, taking Zorn's attacks on the bicep and shoulder instead of allowing Zorn to land a solid blow. When Gine began to deflect attacks their way, he seized Zorn's other arm, and began to aim him so each attack struck his enemy.

"You know, what's funny is, at this point, Gine is stronger than I am," Nappa admitted, "She's had more experience fighting at this level of power. I've just had training."

He headbutted Zorn, and then kicked him across the field to Gine. Before Sesamee or Nion could make their attack on Gine, he flew at Nion, catching her with one arm, and slammed her head against Sesamee's chest. Sesamee let out a grunt, but began to punch Nappa in the chest, which hurt a lot more than Nappa let on to his enemies.

"You're a fool to stand in our way!" Sesamee said, "You should have joined us!"

"You're a fool to waste this opportunity trying to kill Kakarot," Nappa said. Nion grabbed Nappa's arm and pulled herself up so she held his upper arm with her legs, and his forearm with her hands. Then, she pulled his arm straight, and yanked.

Nappa let out a scream as the crack of his arm dislocating rang through the mountains.

When Zorn reached Gine, she kicked up, causing him to go from a straight collision to a spiral with the impact of her leg with his head. When he'd spun over a couple times, she kicked down, planting him into the ground. She then borrowed a move from Brussa, and began to jump up and down on his back.

Zorn swung his arm at Gine, using the momentum to swing himself out of the hole Gine had kicked him into, but she jumped over his attack, landed next to him, and kicked him in the face again, which peeled him out of the hole. She spun, striking him a fourth time, before landing in a fighting pose.

"Wow," Zorn panted, "You were even holding back against Nion. Nappa was right, you _are_ the more powerful between the two of you!"

Gine shrugged, "And I'm _still_ not even the most powerful in my family."

Zorn held up his hands to fire a blast, but Gine was quicker on the draw, leaning over to avoid Zorn's line of fire while striking him with a blast to the side. His went wide, while hers hit him right in the chest.

Then she heard the crack of Nappa's arm.

"NAPPA!" she screamed, and flew up to help him.

"Whoops, looks like I found a weak spot!" Zorn laughed, and he began to pelt the three Saiyans with Ki attacks. Gine spun about, and flew at Zorn, pelting him with blows on the face and chest to stop his attacks on Nappa.

"_Nobody hurts my family!_" Gine snarled as she pounded him into the ground again.

"Bite him!" Zorn shouted while getting pummelled. Above, Nion and Sesamee opened their mouths, revealing their long canines, and they both dug their fangs into Nappa, who screamed again. Zorn laughed as Gine stopped punching him and flew up to help him. She silenced his laughs with a Broiler before speeding to his side, leaving him to scream as he burned.

Gine punched Nion in the cheek, forcing her to release Nappa and sending her up into the sky. She rotated her body to land a dropkick on Sesamee. Gine held his arm, felt where it was dislocated, and jerked, putting it back into place. Nappa let out a groan, rather than a scream, when she felt it slide it back in place.

"We'll stick together. These three don't have our teamwork," Gine said. Nappa began to chuckle, and he looked at her with a crazed look in his eye, and when he opened his mouth to laugh, she floated away from him, shocked at the fangs in his mouth.


	51. Domestic Battle

_Son Family Homestead  
April 3, A763_

Gine ehdl up her arms just as Nappa punched at her, the blow pushing her back. Gine continued to fly back, keeping distance from Nappa, who literally hissed at her and charged. Gine curled her legs, waiting for Nappa to get close, before kicking out and landing her foot on his face, causing him to flip backwards.

As he did, he reached out, nabbed her arm, and spun her around in the opposite direction, before allowing himself to fall. He threw her forward, and readied to begin an onslaught of punches.

Gine spun back to land on her feet. Nappa was not holding back, as he'd just been a moment before; whatever the bites had done to him, he no longer cared about anyone's safety. He had weight, and was attacking from a higher position; Gine was not going to be able to out-punch him.

However, the difference in what training they'd had came into play here. Nappa had trained with Mercenary Tao for over a month in a gravity chamber, and had picked up on the Crane School fundamentals, where Gine had been training with Chi Chi and Goku.

Their fight became a duel between schools as Nappa went for the precise killing blows favored by the Crane School, while Gine fell back on the fundamentals of the Turtle School, redirecting and pressing Nappa's weight against him. While Nappa over-committed trying to land his strikes, Gine paced herself, waiting for him to tire himself out and make a mistake.

Gine's real advantage, however, was in her footing. Nappa was so focused on trying to land a blow, he wasn't focused on her whole stance and the circumstances around them. He was also used to being the superior fighter in all his battles, and working in a team, an arrogance that, despite his accepting a more domestic life, he had yet to unlearn.

Gine, however, had spent her whole life trying not to die when surrounded by more powerful warriors.

She led him away from the ledge and towards the mountain, where the incline grew steeper. His floating above the ground and punching down at her became less of an issue as he followed her footing, rather than dictating the circumstances of the fight. As soon as Gine was at eye level with Nappa, she went on the offensive.

"I've never seen a fight like this," Sesamee admitted.

"It would seem that they have learned some of the Earthlings' fighting style. They seem...Reserved," Nion observed.

"Whatever you call it, it's taking too long, and they know how to hide their power levels, which means we need Nappa to talk so we can find Piccolo and Kakarot," Zorn said.

Instead of blocking or deflecting, Gine dodged Nappa's next attack, which put his offense off-balance. He went too far forward with his jab, allowing Gine to slam a fist in his face. Gine began to let out a yell as she started hitting back, striking him on the chest and face. He brought up his right arm to start catching the blows there instead, but it made an opening for her to slam her fist into his left side.

Nappa jabbed out with his defending arm, but Gine ducked under, and slammed her palm into his chest, sending him back. Nappa charged a white Ki ball in his arm, and fired a Bomber DX at her. Gine leaped up and forward, catching herself in the air well before the attack landed and left a crater in the ground.

She held out her arm and shouted, "Broiler!"

A fiery wave of Ki covered Nappa, and she could already smell burned flesh. Gine had learned to use painful fiery techniques to distract her enemies, in place of overwhelming them. For most circumstances, it worked; being on fire was an awful experience.

For the crazed, mind-controlled Nappa, however, pain was not an issue. When the flame and smoke dissipated, all she'd done was burn off Nappa's dirt-covered shirt.

Nappa allowed himself to be tossed back and land on the ground. He stomped, sending out a wave of energy around him, and stones began to float up into the sky. Nappa jabbed his finger up at Gine, and the stones began to melt and glow red.

On top of being taken out of his right mind, it occurred to Gine that it was Nappa who had taught her how to develop those kinds of attacks.

"They're only toying with each other! They're just getting to their real techniques! Why aren't they just trying to destroy their opponent?" Sesamee asked.

"Because they aren't trying to _destroy_ each other, they're trying to _defeat_ each other," Nion said, "If they just wanted to obliterate their enemy, they'd have already laid waste to the area around here. They're pacing themselves, and each other. Even with the power of the Black Water Mist taking over Nappa's mind, whatever he's learned here on Earth is still guiding how he fights."

"It's a waste of time," Zorn scoffed.

"I'm not so sure," Sesamee admitted.

Gine was dodging globs of molten rock being flung at her from below. It wasn't like dodging solid chunks of matter; the globs shifted shape and velocity as they flew, making them unpredictable; their relatively slow speed only meant that the attacks were closer together in a wide net, making it more difficult for her to dodge them as a whole. Charging Ki into her hand, Gine began to cut through them.

One of the globs split unpredictably, and instead of flying off to the side, it joined with another blob and wiggled, stretching and squishing as it flew, and caught on her arm. Gine let out a yell and quickly began to wipe it off her arm.

Below, Nappa powered up, held up his index and middle finger together, rotated it to touch his left elbow, and swept out, unleashing a wave of energy known as the Blazing Storm that cut through the blobs of molten rock straight at Gine.

She saw it at the last moment, and held up her hand in the same way. Instead of bringing it across to her arm, however, she curled so her fingers touched her hip, and swung out, casting a wider wave. When they clashed, Gine's wider Blazing Storm detonated, sending molten rock all over the ground.

Gine knew she was going to have to find a way to end this fight quickly; Nappa was only going to get more lethal, and Gine was going to need energy to deal with the other Saiyans, and whoever their master was. She was going to need help, but she couldn't lead them to Piccolo or her family, either. But first she needed to put down her numbed, crazed, possessed mate.

"Enough of this, Nappa! Finish her off, and let's go!" Zorn commanded.

Nappa let out a growl, and his mouth started to glow white.

Gine knew what was coming, and cupped her hands, "Ka! Me!

"BREAK CANNON!" Nappa screamed as he opened his mouth, and a yellow blast came storming towards Gine.

"Hah! Me!"

The blast was nearly upon her; if she didn't strike it correctly, it would envelope and destroy her; Nappa's Break Cannon was designed to obliterate its target, overwhelming all but the greatest of powers. Despite whatever power gap there may be between them, this kind of engagement was precisely what his Ultimate was meant for.

"HAH!"

The beams collided, and began to push against one another. The Break Cannon was meant to overpower in struggles like this, but Gine was giving the attack everything she could.

She cursed herself for her indecisiveness. Gine knew this wasn't her all. She didn't want to hurt Nappa. But she also didn't want to die.

That wasn't true; she _did_ want to hurt him, but only so much.

"This is my problem!" Gine muttered to herself, "I can't focus!"

She wondered, for a moment, what Bardock would tell her. He'd yell at her for being pathetic and getting into trouble she couldn't handle.

"To hell with Bardock!" she hissed; the beams were getting closer.

She remembered the last time she fought Nappa. He'd been beating Brussa senseless. She'd been bloodied and was wheezing when Gine had stopped him. She'd punched him within an inch of his life. Then she cried, putting her sons into harm's way against Vegeta. She'd threatened Chi Chi, and allowed herself to go feral.

When it had come down to it, she'd permitted her rage to consume her. She had killed, and then had cowered.

Gine had _begged_ for forgiveness for what she'd done, when if she'd stayed focused and in control, she might not have needed to be forgiven at all. Like an animal who'd bit its owner, and then whimpered when disciplined.

"I am not an ANIMAL!" Gine declared, pushing a reserve of energy into the struggle.

The results did not matter right now; the only thing that mattered was surviving, _right now,_ and that meant defeating Nappa, no matter what it took.

If he died, he would be mourned.

But she would survive, and she would protect her family, even against Nappa.

Victory was all that mattered.

Gine stopped holding back.

The Break Cannon reached Nappa, and the Kamehameha consumed him. With no resistance against her attack, Gine let it go. When the light cleared, and the beam was cast off into space, Nappa was still where he'd been, his clothes burned off.

Nappa took two steps toward her, muttered, "Gine…" and fell forward.

She rushed to him, and felt at his neck; his pulse was weak, as was his breathing, but he was still alive. Gine stood, and looked up at the three Saiyans who'd been watching their battle.

"Pathetic," Zorn scoffed.

"We don't have time to deal with her," Nion said, "If Nappa survives, he'll find us. If we haven't killed Kakarot and Piccolo by then, he'll be an asset."

"I am in command here!" Zorn snarled, "Bite her, and she'll lead us to our quarry."

Gine picked Nappa up, and with a leap, jumped into the forest nearby. Once she hit the ground, she lowered her power level, and began to drag him through the woods, until she found a stream and some shade under a tree. Gine checked his teeth; they were still fanged. Whatever it was affecting him was still in his system.

"Maybe Kami will know a cure," Gine said. She poured some water into his mouth to give him a bit of hydration. She could hear the Saiyans arguing with each other above her as they searched the woods. Even with a suitably low power level, she could still lose them in the forest and be at Chazke village within a few minutes. She would have to leave Nappa behind, however.

"I'm sorry. I'll bring back help as soon as I can," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Mmm, yeah, more syrup, Gine," he muttered. She smiled, kissed him again on the forehead, and began to jump from tree to tree, remaining hidden under the canopy.


	52. Breakup

_Chazke Village  
April 3, A763_

Over the mountains and through the woods, Gine jumped from tree to tree, slid down hills, even swam through a lake to keep her power level down. She could have flown with a low power level, but that was much too easy to follow and track from the air. This way, she had the thriving life of the Mt. Paozu region to cover her tracks as she made her way to the village. She wished she'd known how to lower her power levels when she'd been in the military; maybe she could have found a role as an adept scout.

Gine ran along the mountain that overlooked Chazke village, and could tell something was wrong. Even if Krillin, Raditz, and Brussa were suppressing their power, she should be able to sense the hundreds of people who lived there.

Instead, she could sense _one_ power, and it was a faint one, at that. Gien leaped off the mountain and floated down, looking about.

There were clear signs of struggle about; some of the booths were wrecked, or goods were spilled about. There were blast marks, and a lot more than Brussa, Raditz, and Krillin would have made fighting the same number of enemies. Either whoever they fought was great in number, or her family had help in their fight.

Gine came to the town square, which was in front of the town's bathhouse, at the end of the open air market. It was big enough for the entire town to gather in one place. There were several dirt parking spaces at the edge for flyers to land, which had marks of takeoff.

"Someone took the entire town…" Gine muttered, "Did they defeat the others? They'd have to be seriously powerful, or they'd probably still be fighting."

She followed the power level into the main street, where most people lived. No children, no craftsmen, no ruckus at the saloon.

Gine saw the creature down the street, and at first, she thought it was a Saibaman. Although it was around the same size and had similar proportions, she noticed several differences as she got closer. Instead of having a chitinous shell all over its torso, it only had it over the upper chest and hips. The shape of the feet were different, and the claws of the hands were more integrated, looking less like nails and more like part of the hands. Its head was less smooth, and it had some kind of mask-like armor over its mouth. The creature's eyes were a darker red, with no pupils. Once it had dragged itself into the street, she could see that its skin and chitin were blue rather than green.

Gine stood over the creature, who looked up at her.

"Regist...Registering...Civilian...Low power-level...Recommend-reco-reco-recommend civilian b-b-b-bunker du-d-d-d-du-du-du-during planetary assault," the creature said, its voice clearly artificial and emitted from its mouth rather than being spoken.

"Where did the people of this town go?" she asked it.

"Chazke v-v-v-village s-s-select-selected for pres-pres-preservation in the ev-v-v-v-v-v-vent of alien inv-v-v-v-v-v-v-vasion. Ev-v-v-v-vacuation successful," it said, "All inhabitants willllllllingly v-v-v-v-v-v-vacated."

"There may have been three martial artists with great power, where did they go?"

"Llllllocal LOCAL locallllll personnellllll assisted Bio-Bio-Bio-Bio-Men with ev-v-v-v-vactuation and prov-v-v-v-v-vided escort of ev-v-v-vactuation v-v-v-v-vehicles," it explained.

"So the Earth is under attack, and whoever sent you came to evacuate the village. They attacked, and the warriors helped get everyone out. Where are they being taken?"

"For sssssecurity reasonssssss, this unnnnit cannnnnot-"

"All right, I understand. Do you want me to, uh...Kill you? You're clearly suffering," Gine said.

"Assisted-d-d-d-d termina-termin-termination would be acc-x-x-x-xepted," the creature said.

"Thank you for protecting these people," she said, resting her hand on its chest. With a short, weak shock, it stopped writhing and crawling about, and rested. Its dark red eyes turned black.

"If Raditz, Brussa, and Krillin are helping these things, then I'm sure they've got the situation under control, and they'll find me when they're ready. Chi Chi will be hiding with Gohan. I should see if the Lookout has been attacked yet. I need to warn Piccolo, and get some help, I can't defeat all these Saiyans on my own," Gine said to herself, and she looked towards the direction of the Lookout.

One way would be over water, and was shorter, but fighting over the ocean could be dangerous. Over land would give her more options, but would take longer and increase her chance of being discovered.

Deciding that options were better than shortcuts, Gine began to fly just over the treetops, still keeping her power level as low as she could. If the Saiyans were still looking for her in this area, it would only give her more time to reach the Lookout.

As she flew, Gine reached out her senses, trying to pinpoint people's energy. To her surprise, she had some success. She could still sense Tienshinhan at the Lookout, and Piccolo's energy was fluctuating up and down, suggesting he was in the midst of battle. Weirdly enough, she could not sense Kami. She could also sense Yajirobe, whose energy was alarmingly flaring up in the Lands of Korin. In the northern mountains, she could sense Tao's energy. Piccolo was on the way, so she decided to go and assist him with whoever he was fighting, likely the Saiyans or more minions of their master.

The rate for her flight was frustrating; if Gine allowed herself to power up she could be there in moments, but she had to keep to a sedate pace to hide her power level. She could sense two more powers with Piccolo, both of them strangely familiar. The feeling of one of them gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach, but she couldn't tell why.

"Who _are_ these people?" she wondered. Gine ran through all the Saiyans she knew that would be powerful enough to bring back but have something to offer to control them. Too many Saiyans would have too much pride to take orders.

Gine didn't like the list she came up with.

When she arrived at the wasteland battlefield, it was clear it had been going on for a little bit. There were blast marks all over, as well as a number of devastated rock formations.

"Keep it up, Namekian! I haven't had a fight this thrilling in years!" a female Saiyan wearing armor over pink clothing called out. Piccolo was taking deep breaths on the ground, his fists clenched. Gine looked up to the woman Saiyan, and recognized her instantly.

"Fasha!" Gine called out, floating up. Her eyes widened, and she turned to Gine. She then started to laugh.

"Seriously? _You're_ here? Wow, this is going to be rich! Well, lucky for you, I'm here to fight your battles for you _again,_ Gine_._ So why don't you go cook me some lunch, this Namekian's making me peckish!" Fasha laughed. Gine took a deep breath, and glanced down at Piccolo.

"You alright, Piccolo?" she asked.

"Can't say I'm not glad to have some help," Piccolo admitted, "I've got her outfought, but it's hard to keep up with someone who's already dead."

"Help? Gine? You're joking, right?" Fasha chuckled.

"I'm going to say this very carefully, Fasha, so you understand: Go back to Hell. Whatever deal you've struck, it's not going to turn out well for you," Gine warned. Fasha scoffed.

"You're certainly not going to make me. Once I kill this Namekian, all we've got is Bardock's younger brat to deal with, and the Saiyan Race is back on top. If you stay out of my way, maybe you can keep cooking for us once we're done with this planet," Fasha said.

"Are you listening to yourself? Kakarot's Bardock's son! Do you really think he'd want you to hurt him? You were on his _team_, you were practically family! This is our home now, Fasha. Don't take this away from me, Fasha," Gine pleaded.

Fasha looked down to the ground, where there was a fourth figure watching the conversation and battle. She smiled to Gine, flashing her new fangs, "Why don't we let Bardock speak for himself?"

Gine began to shake, as the figure flew up into the air, his eyes locked on Gine. She felt like she was about to throw up when she saw Bardock come closer.

"I know how much we risked for Kakarot, Gine," Bardock said, "But at the cost of this planet, a Namekian, and just _one_ weak Saiyan, we can bring back the Saiyans. You can join us, Gine. We'll start again, we'll do better this time."

Gine shook her head, tears clogging her head, "You're an idiot, Bardock."

"One last planet. It's all we need for a second chance. I'll protect you, just as I always have. Maybe Raditz is still out there, we can find him, and still be a family. I know it hurts to lose Kakarot, but we don't even know him. He's just some Saiyan living on an alien world," Bardock said. Gine let out a chuckle.

"He's not just some Saiyan, Bardock. You have _no idea_ what Kakarot is capable of. Of who he _is_. He's not a stranger, he's _my son_. And this is his home. This is _my_ home, and I will fight to protect it," Gine said.

"We both know you can't protect this place, or Kakarot, Gine. There's no use," Bardock said, "I can take care of you, once we're done here."

Gine glanced to Bardock's Scouter, and smirked, "That thing still work?"

He touched his Scouter, "Yes?"

Gine began to power up. She listened to Fasha and Bardock's Scouters beep and shrill as her power level leaped past 200,000, blowing their devices. Fasha gawked at Gine, completely taken aback by the numbers she'd just seen. Bardock just smiled.

"Looks like you finally found your fighting spirit, Gine," Bardock chuckled, "I wish I didn't have to have died to see the day, but I'm proud of you."

She punched him in the face.

"Woah! Looks like Gine's finally got fire!" Fasha laughed. Gine seized her by the throat, and squeezed.

"You might be dead, but let's see if you can still pass out," Gine hissed, wrapping her other hand around her neck. Fasha tried to punch Gine, but she ducked her head to the side, and then headbutt Fasha's forehead, stunning her.

"Gine! Put her down!" Bardock commanded.

"You're an idiot, Bardock! If you'd done an ounce of research before doing this, you'd know we lived here! You'd know things have changed!" Gine shouted to him, "But now you're about to doom our family's last chance at happiness."

"I don't need you to be happy," Bardock said, flying at her, "I just need you out of the way."

Before Bardock could reach her, a pair of grann arms grabbed Bardock by the shoulders and yanked him back. Piccolo began to slam him against the ground. Bardock managed to grab Piccolo's wrists and pulled. Piccolo, however, retracted his arms, pulling Bardock with him. Just before they reached Piccolo, the Namekian jumped up and kicked, striking Bardock squarely on the face and sending him reeling.

"Words failing you, Fasha? Looks like Bardock's not coming to _your_ rescue this time," Gine groweld to her. Fasha pushed against Gine, struggling to get her away, but Gine's grip was firm. Gine squeezed harder until she felt something break. Fasha let out a gurgle and a wheeze, and stopped moving. Gine released, allowing Fasha to fall to the ground in a heap.

Without hesitating, Gine flew at Bardock and impacted with him as he tried to charge back at Piccolo.

"You don't understand _anything_ about what's going on!" Gine screamed at him, "Nothing about this world, nothing about my family, or about what's going on! You're just being an arrogant fool!"

With every punch she landed on Bardock, he bounced off the ground, allowing her to grab him and land another blow.

Bardock managed to land a punch on Gine, which ended her game of bouncy-punch and allowed him to get back on his feet. As she charged at him, he put his ahnds together and struck Gine with an axe-handle punch, sending her into the air.

Gine fired a rapid-fire series of blasts at Bardock, filling the air and forcing him to duck and weave as he charged at her, but Gine took the initiative, reversing course and charging back. As she didn't have to dodge the attacks, she had the speed and inertia, and landed a supersonic punch on him.

"Let's add some irony to this fight," Piccolo said, placing two fingers to his forehead, and he began to charge.

Bardock, as he plummeted, aimed his right arm, and charged Ki, and threw it at Gine. As it moved, it elongated so the tip of the blast was wider than the tail, like a spear. Gine recognized his Riot Javelin, and used a Blazing storm to intercept and disperse the attack.

Bardock leaped into the air to be at equal altitude with Gine. She raised her right hand, concentrated her energy, and formed it into a disk.

"KIENZAN!" she shouted, and threw the Destructo Disk at Bardock. It was faster than he expected, and as he tried to drop and avoid the attack, it sliced through his left arm and a part of his tail. Bardock began to scream, clutching his arm, and didn't notice that Piccolo had jumped up into the air.

"Makankōsappō!"

The attack struck him in the shoulder, forcing him to the ground. In a last ditch effort to defend himself from the shot, Bardock thrust up his hand with two fingers pointing up. He exploded in a flash of white light.

When the light was done, Bardock's left arm was completely severed at the shoulder, his armor was gone. Gruesomely, the left side of his face had been completely burned away, including his eye; there was only just enough flesh for his lips to remain intact. Not even his eye had survived the blast.

Gine landed at the lip of the crater, with Piccolo stepping up to join her, and they looked down at the groaning Saiyan.

"That should have been more than enough to kill him," Gine said.

"Yeah, but he's already dead," Piccolo said. He looked over at Fasha, "But it looks like they still need air to function."

"That's what I was thinking," Gine said. Bardock managed to get back on his feet.

"You're making a mistake, Gine!" Bardock shouted up to her.

Piccolo laughed, "Weren't you listening? You're being a fool! Goku's not even here. He's in space, on his way back. He's a Super Saiyan, you know. He figured it out while he was fighting Freeza."

"You know, when he gets here, with all that power, I don't think Kakarot's going to be happy that his dead father helped someone take over his homeworld. What do you think, Piccolo?" Gine asked. Piccolo's smile widened.

"Oh I think he'd go Super Saiyan all over again. Do you think your master can deal with _that_, Saiyan? The killer of Freeza himself?" Piccolo asked.

"Kakarot...Is a Super Saiyan?" Bardock gasped, "I've got...I've got to warn the others! Out of my way!"

Bardock flew up with a blast of energy, swooping over them and diving to grab Fasha, and he flew off to the northwest. Gine clenched her fists, wanting to chase after him, but she decided against it. Gine looked over to Piccolo, and began to cry.

"I can't believe...Bardock...He risked so much to save Kakarot...He wasn't...This isn't…" Gine began to stutter. Piccolo held out his arms, and supported her, allowing her to cry into his chest. Piccolo was not one for reassurance; his embrace was cold and stiff, but just for a moment, Gine needed help; even this much was enough for her.

Gine pushed herself off him, and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry, it's just...Seeing Bardock again, and I had to fight Nappa earlier, and I don't know where Gohan and Chi Chi are."

"I can't say I totally understand, but you're phenomenally strong, Gine. You showed it when you killed me, you showed it on Namek, and you showed it today. We're going to need that strength. You said you fought Nappa?" Piccolo asked.

She nodded, "There were three more Saiyans, one a member of the Royal Family. They bit Nappa, and he went crazy. He even stopped talking, he just attacked me like he was possessed."

Piccolo nodded, "That's what I was afraid of. I know who's behind this."

"You do?"

"Yeah, and it's a big problem. His name is Garlic Junior, we've dealt with him before. Unfortunately, you know how Freeza was looking to wish for immortality? Garlic Junior actually managed to pull it off. He's made these dead Saiyans more powerful with the Black Water Mist, and he's probably planning on using it on the whole planet. Once he does, we have less than twenty-four hours to find a way to reverse it," Piccolo explained.

"The Dragon Balls aren't ready yet, and the Namekian's won't be ready for months. And how do we defeat an immortal? We had a hard enough time dealing with these dead Saiyans," Gine asked.

"Well, the dead Saiyans have a time limit, too. They have to go back within twenty-four hours. Clearly, Garlic Junior's looking to take over the Earth in a hurry. Which means, whether or not they manage to kill me, Garlic Junior's moving ahead, and I don't know how we'll defeat an immortal," Piccolo admitted, "If they bit Nappa, then he's infected, and we'll need to fix him before the end of the day, or he'll be Garlic Junior's slave forever."

"Well, what are our options?"

"We'll need everyone on deck. Where're the others?"

"Raditz, Brussa, and Krillin helped with some kind of evacuation. I met this creature, called itself a Bio-Man. It told me the village was attacked, but wouldn't tell me where they went."

"We don't have time to go looking for them. That means the only place we can get help is the Lookout. Cargo! Chi Chi! Gohan! You can come out!"

Piccolo's apprentice and the mother and son emerged from their hiding place. Gohan ran to Gine and leaped into his grandmother's arms, and squeezed her in a locking hug. She managed to free her arms to hug him back.

"We flew to Piccolo to get help, but as soon as he found him, those Saiyans attacked," Chi Chi explained, "I'd have helped, but…"

"It's all right. That was...That was my former mate, Bardock, and a teammate of ours, Fasha. He was...Goku and Raditz's father," Gine said. Chi Chi joined her son in the hug.

"Well he's no grandpa of mine if he's trying to kill Mister Piccolo," Gohan said, "So what's going on?"

"You remember Garlic Junior and his goons?" Piccolo said.

"But I thought he was locked away in the Dead Zone forever?" Gohan asked.

"Evidently not," Piccolo grumbled.

"Wait, what's the Dead Zone?" Gine asked.

"It's a pocket dimension that, once you've fallen into it, you never escape. Seems that Garlic Junior's found a loophole," Piccolo said.

"Then we find the loophole, and shove him back through it," Gine said, "Along with his goons. The Saiyans, too, if we have to. Let's head to the Lookout, and find an end to this."


	53. Devil Deal

_Garlic Junior's Palace, Makyo Star  
April 2, A763_

"What do you mean, 'Just One'?" King Vegeta demanded. He looked around; he was no longer in Hell, but inside a castle foyer. There were nine other people here, mostly Saiyans. One of the Makyans, a bulky lavender-skinned man with horns, turned to them once they arrived.

"Well well, if it isn't the dead come back once again," he chuckled, "What'd you bring us this time? Dog droppings on the bottom of your shoe?"

King Vegeta raised his hand, aimed at the Makyan's head, and fired a Ki blast straight into him. The Makyan laughed.

"You'll have to do better than that, monkey boy!" the Makyans said, grabbing King Vegeta by the hair, and began to slam him against the ground. King Vegeta punched at the Makyan's arm to try and force him to let go, but his grip was iron-tight.

"I don't know why Master Garlic is bothering with you worthless Saiyans! You're nothing compared to me! Compared to any of us!" the Makyan slammed King Vegeta into the floor, and dragged him through it, leaving a streak in the ground. King Vegeta fired bolts of Ki at the Makyan, but it was of no use.

"I am King Vegeta! I am the greatest warrior of my people! This indignation _will not stand!_" King Vegeta hissed.

"And where has that gotten you? Dead and forgotten," the Makyan taunted.

"Vinegar, is that any way to treat my guests?" a new voice called out. Vinegar dropped King Vegeta, and bowed to the short figure that was coming down the staircase.

"I'm sorry, Master Garlic Junior. But it's clear that I'm much stronger than any of the Saiyans, I don't understand why we need them," Vinegar said.

"It's all part of the plan, Vinegar, have no worry. You and the other Monarchs will serve me in the eons to come," the little, pale green Makyan said, "Please, King Vegeta. Stand. I will not have my Generals treat my guests like this!"

"You, I assume, are Garlic Junior?" King Vegeta asked. Garlic grinned.

Garlic explained, "I am. Welcome to my castle on the Makyo Star. Here, my people are at their strongest, their mightiest. That should answer _your_ question, Vinegar: Your power is dependent on the Makyo Star. The Saiyans, however, are capable of much more without it. But once the Earth is ours, we won't have that restriction. Now, why don't we all introduce ourselves? As King Vegeta said, I am Garlic Junior. I am who will restore your bodies and your glory to the Galaxy. These are the Four Monarchs of Makyo: Spice, Vinegar, Salt, and Mustard. They are my hands. And of course, my dear late Nickie, who has continued to serve me, even in death."

"It's my honor, my lord," Nickie bowed.

"So long as you are here on the Makyo Star, you will continue to exist; this is a place between the physical world and the next dimension. You can remain here as long as you'd like and never return to Hell," Garlic said, "Its pull has not only freed me from the Dead Zone, but given me access to more dimensions, including Earth's Hell."

"So why _do_ you need us?" one of the Saiyans asked. King Vegeta recognized most of them: His cousin Zorn, the scientist Nion, the warrior Sesamee, and the Special Forces leader, Bardock. Assuming the woman next to Bardock was one of his teammates from how she stood next to him, that accounted for all the saiyans.

"Despite the fact that Vinegar is correct about the power gap, they _are_ still mortal, unlike myself, and my own work is needed elsewhere," Garlic said, "You, however, are _dead_. Each of you were the most powerful Saiyans when you were alive, and when we're done, you'll be even more powerful. Powerful enough to destroy this world's defenders, who have foiled me before. One is a Namekian by the name of Piccolo. The other is someone named Goku."

Garlic grinned at them, "Though Goku may be a bit of a conflict of interest for you, as it turns out he's not an Earthling, but a Saiyan."

"A Saiyan? We sent no warriors to Earth!" Nion said.

"No, but I did. This Goku is my son, Kakarot," Bardock said.

"And he hasn't taken over the Earth? You must be disappointed," Zorn chuckled.

"I didn't send him here to conquer Earth, I sent him here to live on Earth. To survive the destruction of our homeworld, to save just _one_ person," Bardock said, "And you want me to undo that?"

"I can grant many gifts to you, Bardock. Your life, all your lives, among them. Look around you, the smartest, the most cunning, the most powerful Saiyans are around you here, untouched from the day you died," Garlic gestured to them, "In exchange for one day's service, and the life of one measly, weakling Saiyan, your race will be reborn. I know it must be painful, the prospect of killing your own, but it's for the greater good. A strong foundation for the Saiyan's rebirth."

Bardock crossed his arms, scowling, "All right. One last world, then we're finding someplace uninhabited. I'm done conquering planets and killing people. We'll find a world worthy of our skills, and we'll tame it. But someone else has to kill Kakarot. This Piccolo is mine."

"Good? Anyone else have any questions?" Garlic Junior asked. Silence and headshakes. Garlic Junior gave them a smile, "Excellent. Our first target is the Lookout of Earth. We'll secure it, and blind the Earth's defenders. Then you'll all receive a gift to enhance your powers. So long as the Makyo Star is in orbit around Earth, your power will be greatly enhanced after we take the Lookout and bind your power to it. No need to worry, I keep to the letter and spirit of my word; once you're alive, your connection to the Makyo Star will be severed, and you will be free to leave Earth as you please. Now if you'll follow me, we'll get started."

XXX

_Kami's Lookout  
April 3, A763_

"Why are we waiting?" Vinegar asked, pacing back and forth.

"Because we were ordered to, now shut up," Mustard said.

"We could have already killed this Piccolo and Goku! The Saiyans aren't even back yet! And why aren't we releasing the Black Water Mist? This world could be ours already, even our enemies would be worshipping us!" Vinegar demanded, gesturing to where Tien stood with King Vegeta.

Tienshinhan had activated the Four Witches, and was holding King Vegeta with the rear arms, and beating him with his fists. Tien laughed, and occasionally took a bite of the Saiyan King as he did so.

"It's not like we did particularly well at that village you _insisted_ we visit," Mustard said, "They _all_ managed to get away! Even those warriors!"

"Lord Garlic knows what he's doing, it's not our place to-" Salt started to say, when suddenly, Bardock arrived. He landed at their feet, dropping Fasha next to him. Salt and Mustard gawked in horror, while Vinegar laughed.

"See? Even with the power of the Makyo Star, they're pitiful creatures!" Vinegar gestured. He kicked Bardock in the face, "You've _failed_ Lord Garlic, you're _weak!_ We don't _need_ you!"

"Vinegar!" Spice snarled, stepping out of the Lookout's buildings with Garlic Junior at his side, "One more blow and I'll feed you your own foot, boot and all!"

Vinegar put his foot down, but still glowered at the smoldering Bardock. Garlic Junior stood before the Saiyan, and held Bardock's chin, studying his injuries.

"This was exactly the sort of thing I wanted dead servants for," Garlic Junior said, "To take this kind of damage where my own people cannot. There are so few of us left, you understand."

"I do," Bardock said, "Fasha, her windpipe's been crushed. She passed out. Sir, I've learned quite a bit that you're going to want to hear."

"I imagine so," Garlic Junior said, "Your body is little more than a shell until you're revived. It's a simple matter to restore it."

Red energy transferred from Garlic Junior to Bardock, whose skin and arm reshaped with the energy. Even his armor was returned to form. Garlic Junior walked over to Fasha, and did the same. There was no regrowth or stitching; the energy itself reformed their bodies. Fasha began to breathe, and her eyes opened.

"What-How did she do that?" Fasha demanded, putting her hand to her throat.

"It seems that Gine is capable of a lot more brutality than I ever thought," Bardock said. Garlic turned to him, and nodded.

"Tell me what happened."

"My former mate, Kakarot's mother, Gine, showed up while we were fighting Piccolo. The others went to find some other power source. We dismissed her as a threat, at first, but we didn't stand a chance. Even Piccolo was holding back when Fasha fought him. These warriors are far more powerful than we thought, sir," Bardock said.

"You didn't even find Goku?" Spice asked. Bardock shook his head.

"That's the worst part of it, sir. Gine told me he's not on the planet. He's on his way, and will be back within a year," Bardock said.

"That just leaves us with one less pest to squash! Let us handle them for you, Lord Garlic!" Vinegar insisted.

"Shut up and listen!" Bardock snapped, "Gine says that Kakarot defeated Lord Freeza, after becoming a Super Saiyan. If that's true, and Kakarot has unlocked that power, it doesn't matter what you to do this planet. You'll never be able to surpass him. The Legend of the Super Saiyan-"

"Is one I am acquainted with," Garlic Junior said, his expression sour, "And it means I'd have less than a year before he comes and destroys my empire if I don't find a solution to this problem, even after we take over the Earth."

"Our deal was to take over the Earth and work for you for _one day,_" Fasha said, "Anything more than that isn't part of the deal. Once the Earth is yours, the Super Saiyan is _your_ problem."

"And once he's done dealing with Garlic Junior, he'll be _our_ problem for destroying his homeworld and enslaving them to him! He'll kill us all in his rage, and then rampage throughout the Galaxy trying to assuage his grief and anger. He'll be a blight on the universe, destroying planet after planet! Not conquest, just rage and devastation! Emptiness where there was once life! It'll make our conquests look like schoolyard fistfights compared to what the Super Saiyan is capable of!" Bardock snapped, "We'll need to either find something more powerful, or become Super Saiyans ourselves to stand a chance of survival."

"I'll find you that power," Garlic Junior said, "You were right to bring this to me, Bardock. You've done well, under the circumstances."

"Can't say I've ever been complimented for failure, sir."

"The failure is mine. But have no worry. I may have something greater than the Black Water Mist. Wait here."

Bardock nodded, and fell onto his butt, and watched Tien continue to torture King Vegeta. It occurred to Bardock that the Earthling had torn off King Vegeta's limbs a few times, but now they were back. Garlic Junior was restoring King Vegeta's body so the triclops could torture King Vegeta all over again. Bardock rubbed at his restored eye.

When this was all over, he was going to ask Garlic Junior to restore King Vegeta anyway, despite his refusal to serve. Not even the failed King deserved that fate.

XXX

Garlic Junior left Spice outside as he entered one of the innermost chambers of the Lookout. He had hoped he wouldn't have to resort to this, but if half of what Bardock had said was true, they couldn't afford more mistakes like this. Garlic entered Kami's meditation chambers, and produced a stone with the mark of the Demon Realm. He produced a vial of his father's blood, and poured it over the stone. The symbol on the stone glowed red and the room filled with crimson smoke. It was everything Garlic could do not to cough, but he kept his composure.

The tall, broad-shouldered form of Dabura appeared before Garlic Junior. Dabura was humanoid with short, flat hair, a goatee, smooth red skin, and a pair of horns sticking out of his forehead. Garlic Junior bowed respectfully to the Demon King.

"Garlic Junior. I had not expected to hear from you this soon. How is the conquest of Earth going? I understand you retrieved all the Saiyans I requested?" Dabura said.

"I did retrieve all those Saiyans, though King Vegeta proved to be more stubborn than I expected. It seems that King Kai caught onto our plans, and sent agents to stop us, but they were too late. There's no reason to suspect _your_ involvement, King Dabura; they'll place all the blame squarely on me. Though, not if things continue as they are," Garlic Junior said.

"I have empowered your servants, pulled you out of the Dead Zone months before you would have otherwise, and given you access to Hell. What could _possibly_ be going wrong?" Dabura demanded.

"Everything _was_ going smoothly, King Dabura, make no mistake. But I did not summon you frivolously. We'd taken every precaution, and the empowered Saiyans were everything you promised they would be. But it seems we did not fully anticipate the power of the defenders, King Dabura. They were _far_ stronger than expected. They defeated two of the warriors, and slipped by the rest."

"Your ability to command them is not my concern."

"Of course not. Under normal circumstances I am perfectly capable of handling this on my own, but these are not normal circumstances. When I say they defeated two of the Saiyans, I mean one of them had half his face burned off and missing an arm, while the other one had her windpipe completely crushed. On top of all that, they claim that Goku is now a Super Saiyan. Surely you're familiar with that legend, King Dabura?"

"Enlighten me."

"It's said that the Super Saiyan is a power unlike anything else any mortal is capable of. A golden warrior, fueled by rage, rampaging against every challenge or even each slight, destroying every world they come to. It is only that they are mortal and capable of dying to the vacuum of space or age that this galaxy is not ravaged," Garlic Junior explained, "It was the Super Saiyans that defeated and banished the Makyans, thousands of years ago."

"I can see why this might be an irritating situation for you," Dabura mused.

"Kami's crime against my father is the only slight I'm interested in. We've made every reasonable preparation for this battle. We prepared to fight Goku and Piccolo at fifty times the power I first faced them at, not _a thousand_ times, King Dabura. We could not have anticipated this development. If you want your share of the Earth, I need more power for the Saiyans."

Dabura grinned, and crossed his arms, "This is the first time I've heard a plea for power that actually bothered to give me reasons. You're right. If your Saiyans are defeated, even with the power of the Makyo Star, I can't expect you to succeed. Your conquest of the Earth benefits me in the long term, so I do have reason to see you succeed."

Six stones fell from the ceiling suddenly. They were identical to each other and the original stone Garlic Junior had used to summon Dabura. The only difference was that each of them had an 'M' burned onto them instead of the symbol of the Demon realm.

"So long as the Saiyans keep those stones on them, they will receive all the power they need to bring about your victory. Be warned, however, Garlic: Do not touch the stones yourself, or allow your minions to do so. If you do, then they will no longer answer to you; they will be held by a _far greater_ power," Dabura said. Garlic Junior used his cape to pick up each stone and place them in a clay pot.

"Thank you, King Dabura. You will have your bounty soon, have no fear," Garlic Junior said, bowing.

"Ensure I do," Dabura said, disappearing into a puff of smoke.


	54. Fire in the Land of Korin

_Land of Korin  
April 3, A763_

"Wow, I didn't know Yajirobe had that much power," Gine said.

"He's not to be underestimated. He might be a coward, but he's a natural fighter," Piccolo said. They were beelining for his location; his power-flare was conspicuous, and they wanted to make sure he was okay, but it also helped cover their own power levels.

The red flare of energy could be seen for miles around; they certainly didn't need to sense his energy, but it was spiking higher than Lord Slug when he'd fought Freeza's third form.

They flew into the clearing,and found that Yajirobe was not alone. A brown-skinned shirtless young man pointed a spear at them and took a defensive stance.

"Easy," Gine held up her hands, "Easy, it's okay, we're friends of Yajirobe's."

The young man relaxed, and put his spear up, "My name is Upa. He mentioned that some of his friends might come. He wanted me to flee, but after he saved me, I refused to leave him behind."

"You should still run!" Yajirobe said with a grunt, "I don't know how long I can keep this up! The Kaioken isn't meant to be run this long or this high!"

"Why are you doing this, Yajirobe?" Chi Chi asked.

"I have to! I saw what those people did to Upa's father, and how it turned him crazy! It was everything I could do to protect Upa from them! Then they bit me! It's like an infection!" Yajirobe pulled at his collar, showing where he'd been bit, "So I figured, the body runs a fever to kill infections, and Kaioken is the hottest thing going!"

"You've been like this for over an hour, Yajirobe. If the injection doesn't kill you, Kaioken will!" Piccolo said.

"Then I'll die, I've already done it once! But I'm not going to hurt anyone!" Yajirobe said.

"Yajirobe, if Kaioken eradicates the infection, you've more than burned it out. And if you do turn, we'll knock you out, and when we're ready to cure you, we'll come back," Gine said.

Yajirobe hesitated, and glanced to Upa, who nodded to him.

"All right...Here I go! Turning off Kaiken in one...Two...Two and half...Three!"

The red flare of Kaioken came to an end.

"AH NOW I'M GONNA BE COMPELLED TO EAT YOU I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE!" Yajirobe yelped, recoiling away from them. Everyone stared at the Samurai, who shuddered away from the others.

Nothing happened.

"Are you feeling murderous?" Gine asked.

"No…"

"Not even a little bitey?" Chi Chi chuckled.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Yajirobe patted at his belly, "I'm pretty hungry."

"Actually, Yajirobe, you're not just hungry, you're thin!" Gohan pointed to him.

"Wait, what?" Yajirobe patted at his chest, and realized that his gut had flattened out. He felt at his cheeks, and realized that, while he did have a bit of sagging skin, it wasn't as puffy as it had been before.

"I can't believe this," Piccolo groaned, "Using Kaioken like that for so long should have killed you, but instead it just burned away all your fat!"

"Aww, man, I spent a lot of years building up that gut! Now I gotta start all over," Yajirobe huffed.

"THAT IS NOT THE TAKEAWAY!" Piccolo yelled.

"Well, I guess the bite didn't take once I went Kaioken, so I think I'm good now," Yajirobe said, "Boy, am I glad I paid attention to King Kai after I died!"

"We should have left you to run Snake Way on your own," Piccolo grumbled.

"We're going up onto the Lookout to talk to Kami and Tien about the attack. Would you like to join us?" Gine asked. Yajirobe shook his head.

"I was with Korin when we got attacked. They knocked me off the tower, and that's when they attacked Upa and his father. If they're causing trouble elsewhere, that means they've already taken the Lookout," Yajirobe said.

"Damn," Gine hissed.

Piccolo said, "At least this way we know where Garlic Junior is. If we can get to him and release Kami, he'll find a way to help Nappa and Bora and anyone else affected by the Black Water Mist. We don't have time for anything other than victory, right now."

"Well you can count me out. I fought those things once, and I ain't doing it again," Yajirobe said.

"But Yajirobe, what about Korin?" Upa asked, "You said he was up there when you fell off! He could still be in trouble!"

"Well, he's! He's a clever cat, he...He, uh…" Yajirobe took a deep breath, "You're right…"

"Upa, can you help Gohan, Cargo, and Chi Chi find a place to hide? If we've succeeded, we'll be at the bottom of the tower," Gine said.

Upa nodded, "I wish I could fight, but…"

Gine smiled at him, "We'll make sure you can if you'd like. But right now, we need you to stay safe, okay?"

He nodded, and turned to the others, "Come on, I know the perfect place."

Gine looked to Yajirobe, "You ready?"

"No, but let's do it," Yajirobe said, "By the way, I still can't fly."

Piccolo let out a groan.

XXX

_Kami's Lookout_

"Having fun there, _cousin_?" Zorn chuckled to King Vegeta. The King just had a glazed look in his eye, focusing on nothing. Tienshinhan looked to Zorn and flashed his fangs, hissing at him. Zorn scoffed at him, but left Tien to return to his tormenting.

"I still have a hard time believing that a low-class like your son would have become the Super Saiyan," Zorn said to Bardock, "You're all just so pathetic, getting beaten by that low-class wench! His mother no less! She was just pulling your leg."

"She beat you and slipped away," Fasha said, "Besides, between all of us, _who_ actually managed to _find_ their target? Your boasting betrays your stupidity."

"Don't you talk to me like that!" Zorn snarled.

"Enough!" Spice called out, "I'm sick of your bickering! If Lord Garlic wanted you to fight, he'd have commanded one of you torn apart."

Zorn clicked his tongue and turned to the Makyan, "You're lucky your master is offering such a darling of a deal, or I'd have fed you your own entrails for talking to me like that."

"If you want to do that to Zorn, Spice, I won't stop you," Fasha said.

"I _said, enough!_" Spice hissed, "You're lucky Lord Garlic has noticed you at all!"

"Whether or not Kakarot really is a Super Saiyan doesn't matter, Zorn," Bardock said, "At least not right now. We need this power to defeat Gine and Piccolo right now. If Kakarot did become the Super Saiyan, we'll need it when he gets here, too, or he'll hunt us all down and kill us. And if Gine and Piccolo were lying, it won't matter anyway."

"Once we're alive, _I'm_ finding the power for myself, and we won't need anyone but my power!" Zorn scoffed, "And you can all bow before your new king!"

"It's always healthy to have goals in life. And death, I suppose," Garlic Junior said, approaching them and holding a clay pot. He set it down before all the Saiyans.

"What's this? We having a spitting contest?" Sesamee asked.

"As amusing as it would be to watch you desecrate Kami's things, no. In this pot are tokens which will grant you all the power you need to defeat our enemies. So long as you keep them on your person, of course. Once we're finished, return them here, and you'll receive your reward," Garlic Junior explained.

"More magic, more layers, more mystery," Nion said, "With all due respect, Garlic, you said this about the Black Water Mist and the Makyo Star. It made us more powerful, but not nearly as much as we needed. What assurances do you have this is going to be enough?"

"Your impudence continues to grate on us," Spice said. Garlic Junior held up his hand to silence him.

"Your concerns are valid. You're right, we underestimated our enemies. If I had time, I would have ensured you'd gotten everything you needed from the Makyo Star. But we don't have time, so I went to an interested party to provide assistance," Garlic Junior said.

"Wait, there's someone _else_ involved in all this?" Fasha said, stepping forward.

"As I said, they're an interested party, invested in our success. They stand to gain by our victory, and agreed to help fill in this unexpected gap," Garlic Junior said.

"No way, I'm not dealing with this shadowy, layer-in-layer crap. I'm out," Fasha said.

"Very well. You're welcome to return to Hell," Garlic Junior gestured to the Lookout's buildings, one of which would return her to the Otherworld, "I'm sure that King Kai would be interested in hearing of your adventures here, of course."

Fasha stood in place, and clenched her fists, staring daggers at Garlic Junior, whose passive, almost friendly face was beginning to irritate her. With a grunt, she walked over to the clay pot, and stuck her hand in it. She grasped one of the stones, and looked at it.

"This is just a rock with a weird symbol on-" she started, and then let out a scream. All the Saiyans took half a step toward her as she clutched her face and stomped about blindly.

"What did you do to her?" Bardock demanded.

"Such power from such sources can sting a bit when taken in such quantity," Garlic Junior said, "Have no fear, she's going to be _much_ better in a moment."

Fasha stopped moving about, and began to laugh, "You're right! Oh, wow! The power, I can hardly believe this!"

Nion took a step back, being the one facing Fasha, a horrified look on her face. Fasha turned to Garlic Junior, a crazed look on her face.

"This is such a gift, I can hardly believe it! You should have led with _this!_ It's so much! That weakling doesn't stand a _chance!_" Fasha said. The 'M' on the stone had disappeared, and had moved to her forehead.

"Like I said, there's nothing to fear," Garlic Junior gestured to the pot, "Victory is in our clutches."

Zorn walked up to the pot next, and took his stone. He grunted and wheezed, but did not scream and run amok like Fasha. They could see the 'M' burn into his forehead.

"You weren't kidding! This is _amazing!_ I feel like I could do anything!" Zorn laughed. Nion shook her head.

"Bardock, I know you've been willing to sacrifice a lot for our goal, but look at this," Nion said, "I spent my life trying to understand how our people work, how we gain power. _This_ is an insult to who we are! An insult to what low-class Saiyans like ourselves can accomplish. I won't take this kind of shortcut, and neither should you! Please!"

Sesamee said, "She's right. I _saw_ what that woman was capable of. What _Nion_ has done. If a Low-Class warrior can accomplish that, we don't need magic and shortcuts like this."

Bardock looked over his shoulder to King Vegeta's torment, and then to the jar.

"If we do this, you'll still bring all of us to life, even if they don't help? Even King Vegeta?" Bardock asked Garlic Junior. The Makyan lord smiled.

"All I care about are results. If you think you can do this without them, then fine. I'll bring them back to life, too," Garlic Junior assured him. Bardock stuck his hand into the pot, and grabbed a stone. When his hand was out of the jar, the M was already on his forehead.

"Since the two of you won't be joining your comrades, you have no use for your connection to the Makyo Star, either," Garlic Junior said, waving his hand. Sesamee and Nion's fangs disappeared out of their mouths, and they could feel the power seeping out of them, and the pull of the Makyo Star disappeared.

"You're soft, Bardock," Zorn said, "If they're too frightened of _power_ to join us, then they don't deserve to be called Saiyans, much less come back to life and pose as being one of us."

"Shut up," Bardock said, taking off his Scouter, "They're here."

Three figures floated up over the surface of the Lookout, and they landed, facing the Saiyans and the Makyans. Garlic Junior let out a cackle.

"Why Piccolo! How wonderful it is to see you again! As you can see, I've prepared a party just for you. Bardock, Zorn, Fasha? Kill them," Garlic Junior ordered.


	55. Power of Madness

_The Lookout  
April 3, A763_

"I'm going to show you the power of a High Class Saiyan," Zorn said, "Bardock, don't blink. You might miss me killing your worthless mate!"

Just as Zorn was about to charge Gine, Bardock punched him in the gut and hissed, "Don't you lay a finger on her. I'll deal with Gine myself. Deal with the others, or I'll rip your head off and you can watch me beat them to death with it firsthand."

"You!" Zorn choked, "Dare strike me!"

Bardock stepped towards Gine, locking his eyes with her. She shook her head, and sighed.

"I don't know what you think you're going to get out of this, Bardock," Gine said, "But you've already lost me, and the boys, and everything else. Garlic Junior can't give it back to you."

Bardock shook his head, "It's not about what I've lost. It's about what I can build from here. I'm sorry we can't build it together, Gine."

"I wish you knew how to build anything," Gine said, and she fired a Ki blast at him.

Bardock jumped over the blast, using the explosion to propel himself toward her, and he punched down at her, far faster and harder than she expected. Just the one blow was enough to put her off balance and stun her.

Bardock swung another punch, and Gine twisted her torso to catch it on the shoulder instead of head-on. The blow was hard enough to send her back, and the impact site felt numb for a moment before starting to hurt.

Gine gasped and clutched at the injury; Bardock was so much stronger than he'd been when they'd fought just a couple hours before. Gine managed to raise her hands and charge a blast, but Bardock was upon her in an instant. His next blow caught her in the sternum, and she dropped her attack, the Ki fizzling out into nothing. Gine rolled along the ground of the Lookout as the attack punted her away.

Pushing herself off the ground, Gine managed to get back to her feet and faced Bardock. She started to gather Ki around her, and it began to warm up. Even her aura began to warm up. When Bardock ran at her, he was faced with a wave of sudden, intense heat. Gine punched him before he had the chance to strike her, leaving a burn mark on his armor where she struck him.

The pain startled him, and she got a few more strikes on Bardock. He ended it by simply clubbing her across the face with his arm, sending her rolling across the ground again. Bardock let out a yell as his arm caught fire, and he patted it out. Gine managed to catch herself on the tiles, the heat of her aura being enough that her fingers melted the tiles of the Lookout. Using her hands to thrust herself forward, she led with a punch.

Bardock caught it, but the heat of her skin burned his hand, and he let out another yell. With her other hand, Gine began to punch him in the face, causing him to recoil, and the heat of her aura forced him to pant and sweat. Bouts of flame erupted around her as she stepped toward him.

Bardock punched at her, too fast for her to follow, and it was another powerful, stunning blow that knocked the wind out of her. He appeared behind her, and struck her again. Gine pushed her aura hotter and further, and Bardock actually caught fire when he struck her again.

Gine couldn't keep up the Baking Aura after she impacted the ground again; she hadn't even designed the technique, she'd just come up with it on the spot to force Bardock to feel pain and bridge the gap between their power. She she looked up at him, his hair had burned off, along with his red bandana, and parts of his armor had melted off. His skin was blistered and red.

"Where was this thirty years ago?" Bardock scoffed, "If I'd known you were capable of fighting like this, I'd have insisted you stay on the team."

"I learned to survive, and fight for others. Even with your team, Bardock, you only ever lived or fought for yourself," Gine said, "You're still as selfish and arrogant as the rest of them."

"I sacrificed everything to save you and Kakarot," Bardock said, "You're ungrateful."

"I'm free," she said, holding out her hands. Bardock reached out, and held her up by the throat.

Gine fired a Break Cannon from her mouth, catching him straight in the face. She wasn't proud of the cheap trick, but it was the most powerful technique she could use without setup and without her hands.

She gasped in horror when she realized that Bardock was unaffected.

"Good try," he said, and he lifted her up to begin slamming her against the ground, when something impacted with Bardock's face and caused him to drop her.

Landing on her feet, Gine looked around. Piccolo had been forced into the air by Fasha after she'd ripped off one of his legs, and had chucked it at him. Now he was trying not to bleed out while striking her with as many Special Beam Cannons as he could.

Yajirobe was straining himself under Kaioken to dodge as many attacks as he could, but Zorn was proving to be more than a match for the swordsman. Gine grit her teeth as Yajirobe turned to face the charging Zorn with his sword; she knew she was about to watch Yajirobe get killed.

To her surprise, Yajirobe smiled, and his blade began to glow red.

"Kaioken times twenty!" he shouted, and with a flash of movement, Yajirobe chopped and dodged just as Zorn came at him. When Zorn landed, he spun about to face Yajirobe.

"You're _dead_, Earthling!" Zorn announced. Yajirobe held out his sword.

"This was a gift from my friend, Bulma. You know what a Ki blade is, don't you?" Yajirobe asked Zorn. Zorn scowled at Yajirobe, and Gine let out a laugh as Zorn's top half began to slide off his legs, falling in two pieces.

"I think...I may have used...Kaioken...Too much…" Yajirobe said, the red aura dissipating. Yajirobe spat blood, and fell to the ground.

Most horrifyingly, however, was the object that impacted Bardock. Laying blow after blow was Gohan, screaming obscenities and threats at his own grandfather.

Bardock was unmoved by the attacks, and he shot out his arm, grabbing Gohan by the tail. Gohan let out a gasp and fell numb.

"Who's this? One of your brats with that fool, Nappa?" Bardock asked.

"Bardock, you don't want to hurt him," Gine insisted.

"You're right, I don't. We'll need all the Saiyans we can. That doesn't mean I won't put him in his place," Bardock raised Gohan up to start slamming him.

"He's not Nappa's son, or mine. He's Kakarot's," Gine said, standing.

"Kakarot's son? Who else is on this planet? There were no missions to Earth, that's why I sent him here!" Bardock said. Gine gave him a toothy grin.

"The boy is half human. Kakarot's wife is an Earthling. They're expecting their second child in a few months. That's our grandson, Son Gohan. He's the bravest boy I've ever met. He _insisted_ we go to Namek to help defeat Freeza. He never so much as hesitated. I told him to run, and what does he do?" Gine stepped toward Bardock, "He disobeys,and comes to save me. Because _he_ has the true heart of a Saiyan. He doesn't fight to win, or conquer, or gain. He fights to save. To protect. He wants nothing more than a better world."

Gine stood straight, and held out her hands, "A better world you're trying to take from me, Bardock. Happiness I've fought for, bled for, is right there in your hands. You want a legacy? That boy is your legacy. He is the future of our people, but you were too arrogant to even look, or think of the possibility. _He_ is what I've been trying to protect, Bardock."

Bardock grabbed Gohan under the arms, letting his tail go, and studied the boy with a scowl.

"He looks like my grandfather."

"I think he looks like Raditz."

"Garlic!" Bardock turned about to face his master, "Did you know about this? About Kakarot's son?"

"Ah, yes, the brat. He was quite the nuisance last time, a disobedient whelp that made a fool of my men," Garlic Junior remarked, "I figured he would be a nice little bonus for you, Bardock, once you dealt with his father and Piccolo, but I suppose it's no longer a surprise."

Gohan awoke, and realized he was being held by his opponent. Wrapping his tail around his waist, Gohan pulled his arm back to punch Bardock, when, to his surprise, Bardock put him down.

"You _knew_ that Saiyans could have children with Earthlings?" Bardock asked. Nion pressed her hands to her mouth, shocked at the revelation. Sesamee clenched her fists. Fasha continued to fight Piccolo, who was tiring out.

"What does it matter? There are plenty of worlds out there, I'm sure one of them has a compatible species. You're resilient and stubborn, you'll figure it out," Garlic Junior waved his hand dismissively.

"Nion was right! We should never have trusted you!"" Bardock took the stone out of his armor and chucked it aside. It skipped off the tiles and fell off the side of the Lookout. The 'M' on Bardock's forehead disappeared.

"Lord Garlic," Zorn called out, crawling towards him, "Heal me, and I'll deal with this recalcitrant fool!"

"No, I think it's past time I started to handle things myself," Garlic Junior shook his head, taking off his cloak. Garlic Junior began to change to a darker green as he took off his jacket, as well, and began to grow in size.

In a deeper voice, Garlic Junior spoke as he stepped towards Bardock and continued to grow, "I've been more than patient with you Saiyans. Including you in all this wasn't even my idea. But a deal is a deal, and you don't break deals with Demons."

Garlic Junior, now over ten feet tall, reached out and swatted Bardock away.

"All I asked for was two measly bodies, and you can't even get that right! Tien! Quit toying with him, and rip him apart!" Garlic Junior ordered.

"Happily!" Tien shouted, tearing King Vegeta's arms off, before turning to his legs, and then head.

Sesamee charged Garlic Junior, landing a series of blows to the side of the demon's head, but he opened his mouth and grabbed her in his teeth, shaking her about and sinking his fangs into her belly, before throwing her aside.

"Yes! Kill them! Rip them apart!" Fasha laughed at the sight. Gine raised her fists, knowing that she wouldn't actually stand a chance against him.


	56. Rage of the Righteous

_Kami's Lookout  
April 3, A763_

While Garlic Junior descended upon the Saiyans, Tienshinhan gave King Vegeta's head a bored look, and tossed it aside. He walked towards the buildings on the Lookout, when Mustard stood in his way.

"Where are you going? We want you on standby in case Lord Garlic wants you to handle these fools for him," Mustard said.

"Yes, of _course_, sir," Tienshinhan said, "It's an _honor_ to behold you, Sir Mustard. May I say how much of a pleasure it is to serve you and Lord Garlic at this time of triumph? My mind is so much more clear now that the burden of free will has been taken from me. Your magnificence is a sight to behold, your physique is a beauty unlike any I have seen before!"

"Why can't you Earthlings be this reverent without the Black Water Mist? Back to the battle with you," Mustard gestured for Tien to walk the other way.

"By your command, Sir Mustard," Tien bowed and turned around. With his top eye, he looked to the side, and saw a figure slip into the buildings. Tien kept his composure, no matter how much he wanted to smile.

XXX

King Vegeta did _not_ know how to navigate the maze of the buildings on the Lookout. He thought it would only be a few, but the truth was that the rooms were bigger on the inside than they were outside, and they each had a different vista somewhere on the Earth, making it impossible for him to find his way through.

"Come on, where is it? He said it would be past the room with the mountain view-Here!" King Vegeta stood before an ornate white and red door. It was covered by a black mist. He took a few steps back, aimed his hands, and charged an attack. A purple aura surrounded him as the energy collected in his hands. His muscles bulged, and King Vegeta let out a shout,

"GARLICK GUN!"

The purple blast struck the door, and the black mist dissipated. Without hesitating, King Vegeta threw it open, and stepped into Earth's Check-in Station.

"You!" King Yemma roared, standing up at his desk, "First you refuse to give up your body, and now you intrude into my office? You've got a lot of gall!"

"Roshi? Where's Roshi?" King Vegeta demanded.

"I'm right here," Roshi ran up to him. King Vegeta looked him up and down and scowled.

"You're not Roshi," King Vegeta said.

"What? Yes I am? Just look at these thick, black locks of-" Roshi ran his fingers over his head. Instead of thick, black hair, he felt bald skin.

"Aw, damn, I'm old again, aren't I?" Roshi grumbled, "Well it _is_ me, and it seems you've gotten through. What's going on, Vegeta?"

"The Makyans led by Garlic Junior have taken over the Lookout of Earth. They've empowered the other Saiyans, but they turned against him, but now Garlic Junior is tearing through them. He's immortal, Roshi, they don't stand a chance!"

"I know. But I do have a plan. How did you get away?" Roshi asked.

"The three-eyed human faked being turned to their side, and he created a fake body, and tortured it. It allowed me to hide, until he was able to distract Garlic Junior's minions."

"Hmm, good, so he's still on our side. We'll need all the help we can get. You stay here. Once this is done, I'll make good on my promise, and send over your message to your son, all right?" Roshi said. King Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Just hurry."

Roshi ran through the door, and began running through the Lookout. King Vegeta had left all the doors he'd gone through open, so it was a simple matter to make his way out of the maze.

"Hey, why is this door open? What's going on?" Roshi heard a stranger ask. Roshi stepped into the room and saw the short, red Makyan.

"Hey, who the hell are you?" Salt demanded.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Roshi blasted him away with a single blast, and stepped out onto the Lookout. Salt rolled and bounced off the Lookout tiles, and landed, smoking but alive.

"Oh _what_ is it _now?_" Spice demanded. Roshi took off his shirt, and began to enter his Maximum Energy state. Roshi looked around; three of the Saiyans were fighting one of the female Saiyns. Yajirobe was passed out, the fifth Saiyan cut in half and watching the battle. Piccolo and Gohan were trading blows with Garlic Junior in his full form. Gine was barely standing. Salt was standing up after Roshi's blast.

"Well, boys, I'd normally give you a chance to give up and run, but somehow, I don't think you'd listen," Roshi said.

"Well, at least you know how to read a room," Mustard chuckled.

"I also know how to do this," Roshi said, "KAIO-KEN!"

"Please, we've already seen this trick, and _you_ don't have the fat one's sword," Spice said. Roshi gestured for them to come at him. Mustard scoffed, and charged Master Roshi, who dodged Mustard's first attack, and uppercut him in the gut. Salt came in at him with a flying jump kick. Roshi caught him by the foot, and slammed him into Mustard.

Vinegar saw his comrades in trouble, and began to ran to assist them, when Tienshinhan stepped in front of him.

"Get out of my way!" Vinegar ordered. Tien smiled at Vinegar, showing that he had no fangs.

Before Vinegar could react, Tien held up a finger, and fired a Dodonpa Ray at him, striking him in the chest. It wasn't enough to pierce, not quite yet, but it certainly hurt like hell. Tien jumped towards Vinegar and the two began to exchange blows. Tien's sucker attack gave him the edge, but the pair of them were, overall, evenly matched.

Master Roshi fought Mustard and Salt at base Kaioken, and was handily defeating the pair of them, when Spice himself got involved in the fight, which Roshi found to be a much greater challenge. Mustard and Salt provided support, making attacks while Spice kept Roshi distracted with a series of quick blows that Roshi struggled to keep up with.

"Kaioken times three!" Roshi shouted, and with the increased power, he was able to keep up with Spice, landing a few blows of his own. Mustard and Salt were unafraid to strike him with Ki blasts, however, to cover for their leader, who still was able to keep up with Roshi's increased speed and strength.

"Words failing you, old-timer?" Spice asked.

"I've got a few," Roshi said, "Kaioken times five!"

His power flared, and Roshi headbutt Spice into the back of Garlic Junior. Garlic Junior swatted Gohan away, and turned to face Roshi. He spotted Tien fighting Vinegar, and with a swipe, held Tien in one hand.

"I keep underestimating you Humans," Garlic Junior said, "I don't even _know_ who this old man is, but each of you has shown far more gumption than I originally planned. Once the Earth is mine, I think I'll just wipe you all out and use the Earth as a new home for my people, instead of dealing with all you nuisances."

"Tien!" Gohan shouted, planting his foot in Garlic Junior's face as he went to rip Tien's head off. Garlic Junior headbutted Gohan, and charged a Ki blast from his mouth to finish off Gohan.

Gine rushed to go and grab Gohan, but she was too late. Leaping from his fight with Fasha, Bardock stood before the blast meant for the boy, his arms outstretched to block the full blast.

When the attack was done, Bardock's body had disintegrated. Gohan, however, was fine. He stood, and ran to his Grandmother.

"Well, that's one pest out of the way!" Garlic Junior chuckled.

"I thought I could beat him, I thought I could help," Gohan said, "But he's so powerful…"

"Gohan, I want you to leave," Gine said.

"But-"

"I want you to go to Korin's tower, and I want you to see if there are any Senzu beans. Bring them back as quick as you can, we're going to need them," Gine instructed.

"Oh, okay! Yeah!"

Gohan turned, and jumped off the side of the tower. Gine glared at Garlic Junior, and she began taking in heavy breaths.

"Your evil is a corruption. You've turned Bardock against me, you've possessed my mate. You've made a mockery of _everything_ it means to be a Saiyan," she told him.

"I haven't done anything they weren't perfectly willing to do themselves," Garlic Junior said with a laugh, holding out his arms, "Today, I finish my people's revenge, not just against Kami for his crimes against me and my father, but against the Saiyans, as well. Today, you go extinct."

"I am still alive," Gine asid. The sky turned dark, and lightning began to strike all around.

"No way…" Tien gasped, all three eyes wide.

"I am the protector of this world," she stepped toward Garlic, her body twitching and her face in a full snarl, "I am the mother of heroes. You are just another monster."

"No trick you can bring to bear will be nearly enough to defeat my magnificence, and the power of the Makyo Star!" Garlic Junior said.

"No evil can stand before the light of the truly righteous," Gine said, and she let out a yell. Feeling a tingle of power down her back, she powered up in a yellow flash. Her eyes glowed white, her hair stood fully up, and glowed golden. Her yellow aura surrounded her, picking up debris and broken tiles.

"You may be immortal, but your power is _nothing_ compared to the true power of the Saiyans," she announced.

"What is this?" Garlic Junior snarled, stepping back away from her.

Gine glanced over to Roshi, whose battle with three of the Monarchs had come to a pause to gaze upon Gine's transformation to the Super Saiyan. She held up her hand, and fired a simple Ki blast, which disintegrated Spice instantly.

"Spice! No!" Mustard reached toward his fallen comrade. Roshi took the opportunity to clock Mustard in the face towards Gine, who didn't hesitate to fire another blast and obliterate him, as well.

"Another step, and I'll crush the three-eyed baldy!" Garlic Junior held Tien in front of him. Gine aimed a finger, and fired a Ki blast into Garlic Junior's eye, causing him to scream and clutch at his face, dropping Tien.

"Find Kami and release him!" Gine ordered him. With a nod, Tien ran to the buildings.

"Enough of this! I'm done being mocked by this low-class sow!" Zorn called out. Despite not having legs, he was floating in air, his muscles twitching and bulging, "You are no legend! You are a _cook!_ Not even your children are worth calling Saiyans!"

He held out his hands, and charged an attack. He glowed purple, "Eat the wrath of the Saiyan Royal Family! GARLIC! GUN!"

Gine fired a Break Cannon from her mouth, which handily broke through the Garlic Gun blast. Zorn managed a yelp of pain as his body disintegrated. A single stone dropped from where he'd been, landing directly beneath.

"This...This is a Super Saiyan, isn't it? I knew it existed! _I knew we could do it!_" Nion said with a laugh. Even Fasha stepped forward, gawking at Gine's golden, glowing form.

"Gine, I…" Fasha pulled the stone she was keeping in her armor. Her fist clenched around it, she shook her head, and she dropped it, "Gine, I'm sorry…"

"My lord, what do we do?" Spice asked. Garlic Junior glared at Gine with a snarl.

"Kill them all," Garlic Junior said.

"But they-"

Garlic Junior reached over, grabbed Spice, and shoved the other Makyan into his mouth. With Spice still screaming, Garlic Junior began to chew and crunch until Spice's screams stopped. Garlic swallowed, and then spat blood. Vinegar shook his head.

"Madness! This is all madness!" Vinegar declared. The Makyan turned and ran, leaping off the Lookout and flying away. Garlic Junior did not heed him.

"I don't care what you think you are, _I_ am the true ruler of this world! _I_ am the all-powerful, immortal Garlic Junior!" the Makyan Lord declared, throwing a punch at Gine, which she ducked under, and punched up, striking him on the forearm. The bone cracked, and Garlic Junior was sent back, clutching the injury.

"Your immortality will be a prison," she told him, grabbing the broken arm for leverage, and she kicked him in the leg, breaking it, too, "I will leave you in a broken, painful shell of a body, and you will watch my family grow and prosper, when you need no bars to remain harmless to anyone."

"No! I am! YOUR! GOD!" Garlic Junior thrust up his other arm. The blackened sky from Gine's Super Saiyan transformation flashed yellow, and seemed to part, shimmering and phasing into a crack in the sky surrounded by light. Garlic Junior then aimed his hand at the ever-growing red sphere in the sky, and pulled his arm down. With it, the Makyo Star grew larger and larger. Debris from the battle was starting to fly up into the sky, and the whole Lookout began to tilt.

Garlic Junior's limbs cracked and groaned, and he stood back on his leg, "Now you will see the full power of the Makyo Star, and I will trap you in the Dead Zone forever!"

Garlic Junior tried to pull his arm back. He was indeed stronger, but he couldn't wrest his hand back from Gine. She squeezed his wrist harder.

"No! NO! I AM THE ULTIMATE BEING!" he screamed. Gine twisted Garlic's arm, breaking it again.

"As entertaining as it would be to break your bones again and again," Gine said, looking over her shoulder to the encroaching red and black planet, "I think we've had enough of this."

She aimed her hand at the sky, and charged Ki, "I promised myself I'd never be so callous and stupid as to destroy a planet. But in your case, I'll make an exception."

"Don't! No! You CAN'T!" Garlic Junior screamed. Gine pulled her arm back to her hip, still grasping Garlic Junior's arm.

"Kame! Hame! HA!" Gine thrust her hand forward, the blast streaking into the sky, and striking the Makyo Star. The planet shuddered and cracked, with blue energy filling the gaps. It began to flash blue and white, and then was gone from the sky, vaporized entirely.

"How! HOW! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" Garlic Junior shrieked as his form began to wane and shrink. His bulk evaporated off his body, and Gine was suddenly holding little more than a stick in her hand. Gine took but a moment to break each of Garlic Junior's limbs with a twist of her hands, and, holding him by his broken legs, spun and threw Garlic Junior into the rift he'd made.

He screamed all the way into the rift of the Dead AZone, his broken limbs flailing limply.

The hole in the sky accepted Gine's gift, and sealed itself. Earth's sky returned to its normal blue, and the Lookout stopped tipping. Gine let go of the power and anger and rage, and her aura dropped. Her hair returned to normal.

Gine suddenly felt very light headed and drained, and fell to the ground.


	57. Final Rest

_Kami's Lookout  
April 3, A763_

As quickly as she'd become exhausted, Gine woke up, the taste of a Senzu Bean in her mouth. She licked the flavor off her teeth, thankful for the save. She looked around the Lookout; Garlic Junior was gone, along with all his minions. Sesamee and Nion were still present, though Bardock and Zorn were nowhere to be found. Yajirobe was rubbing his head with one hand and patting at his belly with the other. A light, soothing and seemingly ordinary mist was surrounding the Lookout.

Gohan was standing next to her holding the bag of Senzu beans, with Korin hovering just behind him. He beamed when he saw her wake up, and he jumped at her to hug her, despite them being right next to her.

"Oof! You learned _that_ from Brussa, that's for sure," she said, squeezing Gohan back.

"You were a _Super Saiyan!_" Gohan said.

"Wait, you saw that?" Gine said, her heart sinking.

"Saw it? The whole _planet_ felt it! I thought Korin's tower was going to fall out of the sky! Then you threw Garlic into the Dead Zone, and you were gold, just like my dad was on Namek!" Gohan said.

Gine let out a sigh of relief. She had tortured and tormented Garlic Junior; she had him completely overpowered, and she had taken time to break his limbs like he was a fly before throwing him into a dimension he would be eternally stuck in, forced to deal with that pain for the rest of time.

It hadn't been some impulsive thing, giving into rage.

It had been the reason she told Gohan to get Senzu Beans.

"Do you think you can teach me how to be a Super Saiyan, too?" Gohan asked. She brushed her hand through his hair.

"Let's hope I never need to," she said, "A lot of people could have gotten hurt. Speaking of which, where's Kami?"

"I'm right here, Gine," Kami said, approaching them with Tien and Dende at his side, "Thank you for dealing with Garlic Junior. I'm afraid I haven't been powerful enough to deal with him for a very long time. The Earth is fortunate to know you and your family. This is the second your family and Piccolo have saved us from him. Thank you."

"What about Nappa, and Upa's father? And anyone else who may have been bitten? We don't have much time left to save them!" Gine said. Kami smiled and nodded.

"It's already been taken care of. We have the Sacred Water to counteract it," Kami said.

"Hey, Gohan, can I get a Senzu Bean, too?" Tien asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mister Tien, I forgot you and Mister Roshi!" Gohan dug into the bag and handed one to Tien. He ran over to Master Roshi, who refused.

"No danger, no need. Once in a while it's good to recover from your bruises the old fashioned way," Roshi said, "But thank you, boy."

Gine pet Korin on the chin, "Thank you for the Senzu Beans, Korin."

The immortal Cat-God purred, "Hey, it's my pleasure. You and yours have done enough for the Earth."

"Still, I don't ever want you to think you're the Senzu Bean Cat. I'll make sure we have dinner with you once a month from here on out, so don't fill up on Senzu Beans too much," she said.

"Well if you insist," he said, "Ooh, yeah, just like that."

"Here's the rest of the Senzu Beans, Mister Korin," Gohan offered them over. Korin took them.

"Thanks. Garlic Junior's goons did a number on my place, even smashed up most of my plants. It's gonna be awhile before I can regrow them, so let's hope no more creepos like this show up," Korin said.

"Gohan, would you go find your mother and Upa, and let them know it's all clear?" Gine said. Gohan smiled and nodded, gave her another hug, and flew off. As soon as he was out of sight, Gine shuddered.

"I can't believe I did that…" Gine said, "I tortured Garlic Junior…"

"Are you kidding me?" Sesamee called out, approaching, "That was _amazing!_ To think I'd live to see a Super Saiyan! You've _got_ to show me how it works!"

"I'm afraid you won't have the time," Kami said, "You only have a few hours before you disintegrate. Now that Garlic Junior and the Makyo Star are no longer anchoring you to this realm, you would not simply return to Hell. You'd cease to exist, and your essence would be disseminated. You'd suffer a fate far worse than death, being unable to constitute yourself even into a Spirit Cloud unless someone else were to summon you. The six of you _must_ return to the Other World."

"Can't say I'd be too unhappy about that," Piccolo said, "Considering the damage you all did."

"You mean all of this was for _nothing?_" Fasha said, exasperated.

"There's a reason Hell works the way it does. It's their job to reincarnate and return you. Otherwise, your negative energy risks spreading throughout the realm and destroying your world. That is how the Makyans originally became so twisted and evil in the first place: They either returned to mortal bodies, or became one with the Makyo Star."

"There has to be another way," Nion said, "There aren't _enough_ of us to restart the Saiyan race. If Garlic Junior could return us to life, surely someone else could, as well! We're _needed_, we can't just let ourselves die out! I _won't_ let it happen!"

Tien stepped in, "We'll find a way to save the Saiyan race. I know your people did some terrible things, but I've also seen your people at their best, even today. Earth can be a second home for you, a second chance."

"Third," Kami interjected. Tien raised his eyebrows.

"Say again, sir?"

"_Third_ chance. The Saiyans destroyed their original homeworld with their greed and arrogance. With their second, they destroyed the native Tuffles and drove their world to desolation. You are vowing to give the Saiyans a third chance. Such redemptions are left to powers greater than this station, Tien, it is not your choice to make," Kami said.

"With all due respect, sir, the Saiyans are inhabitants of Earth now whether or not we like it. The alternative is asking them to leave. So long as they're Earthlings, they're our responsibility. Are you ready to make that call?" Tien asked. The two stared off for a moment, before Kami smiled.

"You're right, Tien. They have earned their place. But when my time is over, you will be faced with much more difficult questions than whether or not Goku and his family deserve to be here," Kami said.

"If you bring me to life, I promise I'll earn my place," Nion said, "I was a scientist and I'm a strong warrior. Please, I didn't _know_ there was another way!"

"Don't be pathetic," Sesamee said, "If Hell's our only option, then there's no point in whining and begging about it, Nion."

Nion clenched her fists and shut her eyes. Gine could sense her power rising, and she sighed, resigned to having to fight the Saiyan scientist. To her surprise, Nion's power dropped suddenly. Nion stared off into the distance, then glanced to Gine.

"I kept my work backed up," she said.

Gine blinked, "What?"

Nion smiled, "I backed up all the genetic data I handled throughout my career off of Planet Vegeta. I was doing more than just caring for children of the Elite, I was studying the Saiyan genome, trying to link what role genetics play in our power and strength. I was trying to understand how the Zenkai worked, specifically. I knew if my experiments were ever discovered, I'd be hunted down, so I kept a secret backup offworld."

Nion looked to Gine, "If I give you the coordinates and passwords, could you recover them? Maybe it could help our people. If I knew that I had done _something_ to help, then...Then I can have peace with that."

"I'll make sure of it," Gine promised.

"Come on, I can help you with that," Dende said, leading her inside. Sesamee put her hands on her hips.

"Well, Gine, I gotta say, you're one tough badass," Sesamee said, "If nothing else, I'm glad I got the chance to see you turn Super Saiyan. Wish we had that when Freeza attacked us, not gonna lie."

Gine shrugged, "Me, too."

"Don't think this is the last you've seen of me," Sesamee said, "The _moment_ I get the chance to reincarnate as a Saiyan or one of these Human hybrids, I'm taking it, mark my words. Then I'm going to surpass you."

"I'll watch my back."

Sesamee huffed, "Like I'd attack you from the back. Warriors like us? Straight in the face."

Fasha had her arms crossed, looking off in the distance, "I guess it's my turn."

"I moved on from yours and Bardock's deaths a long time ago, Fasha," Gine said.

"I never thought you were worthy of him," Fasha said, "It's not that I wanted him for myself. But Bardock was my commander. My teacher. When you joined our team I thought I was getting a sister. Another woman in the guy's club."

She shook her head, "If I ever thought you were capable of that kind of power-"

"And _that_ is your mistake," Gine interrupted. Fasha shot Gine a glare of anger, but the reversed situation occurred to her, and she let Gine continue. Gine shook her head, "You only ever saw my lack of power. That's the _only_ thing you cared about. The only thing any of you thought about. None of you cared to have the patience to see if I was capable of more. I was weak when you met me, and that's all that mattered. It never occurred to you that you were treating me the way the Elites treated every Low-Class warrior."

Gine gestured to the Lookout, "See what we're capable of, Fasha? Not just in power. Raditz, Shive, and Meys, they're all capable engineers. One of them is the head of the rebellions against King Cold. My daughter and grandson go through books faster than they can eat. I have helped save _two_ planets from tyrants. The Saiyan's arrogance was never looking past the next fight. We never bothered doing anything for ourselves."

Gine took a breath, "But even power, and smarts, and rebellion aside? Even setting aside my being a cook? I'm still worth something. As a person. And you could never see that. Bardock did, even if he didn't understand it. But even that small comfort, of being seen? It's not enough. I deserved better."

She reached out,and squeezed Fasha's hand, "And so did you. Just as you were cruel to me, I've been cruel to others, even here on this planet. They found room to forgive me. I have plenty of room to forgive you, and Bardock, as well."

Fasha squeezed Gine's hand back, and smiled, "What Sesamee said goes for me, too, Gine. I'm coming back for you."

"You two are going to be trouble," Gine nodded.

"I believe we have two more," Kami said, waving his hand, and then thumping his staff. A pair of clouds with halos appeared before them.

"What is the meaning of this? I demand to be restored to my body!" one cloud demanded.

"Stuff it, Zorn," Sesamee said, grabbing the cloud, "I'm tossing you to King Yemma myself."

"UNHAND ME! I AM A ROYAL! YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME! I AM TO BE YOUR KIIIIIING!" Zorn objected as Sesamee dragged him away.

"That just leaves you," Gine said, crossing her arms at Bardock's cloud.

"I suppose so," Bardock said.

"I guess...Just, thank you, I suppose, for grabbing that second pod. I just wish you had thought to find a way to contact me first. You've wasted this once chance for a day back in the mortal world. Your chance to meet your sons, and your grandson, Bardock. We're lucky nobody got permanently hurt, to the point _that's_ the biggest tragedy."

"I thought I was saving us. Giving us another chance. But you're right. I should have known you were out there, and I should have trusted you," Bardock said.

"I don't blame you. You didn't know how much I'd changed. I just wish you'd been the man I imagined you had been. I guess power reflects character," Gine said.

"None of it seemed fair. I thought having another shot meant we'd make up for that."

"There are entire planets that would think the same thing about us, Bardock. About you. If we hadn't wiped them out. Gosh, we'd just taken out a colony before we came here...The universe doesn't care about anything. We could blink out of existence at something else's whims. Some we can resist. Others we can't. At the end of it, you were one I could stop," Gine said, "I think that's why we get resurrected. That's the Heavens' way of making up for the fact there's no justice to the universe."

"Not much of a consolation."

"Make the most of it, then."

The Bardock cloud floated there, lost for words at that. Gine kissed it on the top.

"Goodbye, Bardock. Do better next time. I'll spare our children the truth about what happened here."

"Don't. No lies. There's no reason to spare them the truth. If my failure can teach them, make them stronger, then make sure they know."

"Then they'll know," Gine said. She gestured towards the buildings, and he followed Sesamee and Zorn off back to the Otherworld.


End file.
